GRANVILLE, Ohio – The Allegheny College women's basketball team was denied its first North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) Tournament crown in 27 years as second-seeded DePauw University defeated the fourth-seeded Gators, 83-53, this afternoon from the Livingston Gymnasium.
Allegheny, in its first NCAC Championship Game since 2011, never could get in a groove offensively as it converted just 5-of-26 attempts (19.2 percent) from international waters. DePauw, on the other hand, shot 49.1 percent from the floor and made 27-of-29 free throws.
The Gators were led by senior forward
Emma Pellicano, who completes her career with a 12-point performance and 1,295 total in the blue and gold – the second-most in program history.
Emma Pellicano scored the game's opening points after a steal and layup from a successful trap. The Tigers answered with a 9-0 and 8-0 stretches to gain control, with a runner from freshman guard
Delaney Arbore and a three-pointer from sophomore guard
Madison Caufield sandwiching those runs.
Following five consecutive DePauw points, Allegheny scored eight straight with two Pellicano buckets along with a putback from senior forward
Kaitlyn Fromknecht and two free throws from freshman forward
Olivia Barkley. That run pulled the Gators within seven at 22-15, but the Tigers flipped the script with a 13-4 stretch to make it 35-19. Barkley briefly stopped the bleeding with a jump shot on the fastbreak; however, DePauw would score nine of the last 11 points of the first half to own a 44-23 advantage.
Senior forward
Ifeyinwa Uwazie began the second half with a putback off her own miss, cutting the deficit to under 20. After the Tigers responded with four straight points, Pellicano and Arbore traded a pair of baskets to make it 48-30. However, that's as close as Allegheny would get as DePauw closed the contest scoring 35 of the final 58 points.
Uwazie checked out of the game after her fifth foul with 4:47 remaining, while the remainder of the senior quintet (Fromknecht,
Jessica Mrdjenovich, Pellicano,
Rachel Vigliotti) saw their careers come to an end with 2:25 left on the clock. The senior class won 58 games over its four years in Meadville.
Allegheny picked up baskets at the end from freshmen
Brittany Imel,
Jazmen Moore, and
Maria DiDonato.
Pellicano and Mrdjenovich were named to the All-NCAC Tournament Team following the contest. The fourth-year forward scored 38 points across the three postseason games, while Mrdjenovich tallied 35 along with one of the biggest shots in program history last night against top-seeded Denison.
Allegheny finishes the 2015-16 season with a 15-13 record. DePauw will take a 22-6 mark into the NCAA Tournament.
