ECAC Tournament Central |Â
ECAC Tournament Bracket
WAYNE, N.J. – The William Paterson women's basketball team (21-8, 14-4 NJAC) will play host to Allegheny (20-8, 17-3 PAC) in the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Tournament title game Saturday, March 15, at 1:00 p.m.
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TICKETS
- Tickets for the games are $5.00 for adults; $2.00 for children, visiting students, and senior citizens
- Free tickets will be granted to all William Paterson students with a valid WP ID who attend the Pioneers' ECAC Tournament title game courtesy of the division of student development
HOW TO CATCH THE ACTION
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WHAT'S AT STAKE
- The winner of the matchup between William Paterson and Allegheny will be crowned the 2024-25 ECAC Women's Basketball Tournament champion.
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WP IN THE ECAC TOURNAMENT
- The Pioneers are making their seventh appearance in the ECAC Tournament in program history and are seeking their third ECAC title after previously winning the championship in 1990 and 2018.
SCOUTING THE PIONEERS
- William Paterson capped its 2024-25 regular season with a 19-8 overall mark and 14-4 record in conference play. The 19 wins were the most in a campaign since the 2012-13 team finished 21-8, while the 14 New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) victories are the most since the 1999-2000 squad went 15-3.
- The Pioneers earned the third seed in the NJAC Tournament and bested sixth-seeded New Jersey City, 55-54, in the quarterfinals before falling, 67-55, at second-seeded Montclair State in the semifinals.
- In the ECAC Tournament, the Pioneers secured an 81-63 victory over fourth-seeded Baruch in the quarterfinals before topping second-seeded Hunter, 88-36, in the semifinals.Â
- WP is 12-2 at home this season and have won 11 of their last 12 outings at the Sports and Recreation Center.
- Graduate student Brianna Smith (Hillsdale, N.J./Pascack Valley) was named to the All-NJAC Second Team and leads the Pioneers with 14.3 points per game. She has reached double-digit scoring in 15 consecutive outings and is coming off a 20-point performance in the 88-36 rout of Hunter in the ECAC Tournament Semifinals.
- Junior Renee Wells (Leonardo, N.J./Middletown South) was named to the All-NJAC Honorable Mention and is second on the team in scoring with 13.3 points per contest to go with 5.2 rebounds, 2.0 steals and a team-high 2.4 assists per game.
- Junior Patty Walsh (Middletown, N.J./Middletown North) averages 9.8 points and a team-best 6.9 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game. The Middletown, N.J., recorded 11 points and 13 boards in the quarterfinals against Baruch before posting a 20-point outing with six rebounds during the victory over Hunter in the semifinal round.
SCOUTING THE GATORS
- Allegheny finished 18-7Â overall with a 17-3 mark in the President's Athletic Conference (PAC). The Gators earned the second seed in the PAC Tournament and fell in the semifinals to third-seeded Chatham, 57-45, in Meadville, Pa.
- In the ECAC Tournament, the Gators upset the top two seeds in Pod 1 after besting host Penn State Behrend, 71-61, in the quarterfinals before besting top-seeded McDaniel, 52-40, in the semifinals.
- After dropping their first four games of the season, the Gators have played to a 20-4 mark.
- They finished 12-3 away from home, with their last road loss coming Jan. 11 at Saint Vincent in Latrobe, Pa.
- Four Gators received all-conference honors, highlighted by senior Emily Lauer being named the PAC Player of the Year and freshman Bella Antonacci being tabbed the PAC Rookie of the Year.
- Lauer is the team's leading scorer, averaging 16.9 points per game as a 45-percent shooter (176-of-389) from the field.
- Antonacci averages a team-best 4.7 assists per outing while scoring 11.7 points per contest.
- Junior Sarah Santicola, a first-team all-conference honoree, is recording 12.3 points, 11.0 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per tilt.
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LAST MEETING
- Saturday's title game will mark the first-ever meeting between William Paterson and Allegheny.
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