The fifth-seeded Fairleigh Dickinson University women's basketball team's season concluded on the campus of the No. 4 seed Long Island University in the quarterfinals of the Northeast Conference Tournament, Saturday, March 8 in Brooklyn, NY. In a 64-53 loss, sophomore forward Christy Altamirano (Bayonne, NJ/Bayonne) paced the Knights (13-17 overall, 9-9 regular-season NEC) with a career-high five three-pointers, en route to a career-best 24 points and seven rebounds.
Senior forward Jennifer Walkling (Westminster, MD/Westminster) was a rebound shy of her 11th double-double of the season, registering 14 points, nine boards and three assists. Senior center Mercedez Walker (Stratford, CT/Bunnell) turned away a tandem of shots, finishing the year with 59 blocks, and tied for the school's all-time record with 180 swats.
The Blackbirds (23-7, 13-5 regular-season NEC) move on to play top-seeded Quinnipiac University in Sunday's semifinal match-up.
“We played hard, right to the final buzzer,” Head Coach Peter Cinella said. “Altamirano put her game on display today, stepping outside and effectively working down low. Walkling concluded her career with a fiery effort, but we couldn't overcome LIU's effort on the boards, particular the offensive glass.”
Sophomore guard Connie James scored the afternoon's first two hoops, before Altamirano answered with a three-ball from the right baseline. The forward scored FDU's first seven points, before a pair of free throws from Walkling gave the Knights their first lead, 9-8, with 12:19 remaining.
LIU senior guard Anna Dziadkowiec connected from behind the arc, with Altamirano responding with a three-pointer on her own the next trip down the floor. However, sophomore guard Valerie Nainima netted a turnaround from the right elbow, knotting the contest, 13-13, at the 9:24 mark.
Altamirano continued her hot shooting, banging a third-consecutive trey to put Fairleigh Dickinson up, 16-13, with 7:24 left. Freshman guard Alyssa Mayrose (Freehold, NJ/Freehold) tickled the twine from long-range to momentarily break a tie game. Following a time out, freshman forward Chelsi Johnson canned a trifecta ? good for a 19-19 count at the 4:14 mark.
Nainima grabbed an offensive board and struck from deep then tallied three the hard way, capping a 9-0, home-standing surge. Long Island hit the break ahead, 28-22, holding FDU without a field goal over the final 4:38.
Altamirano's 13 points carried the squad, with Nainima countering with 13 of her own. Fairleigh Dickinson was out-scored in the paint, 8-2.
The Blackbirds opened the second stanza on a 6-2 push. Altamirano notched an old-fashioned three-point play and swished an attempt from behind the arc, bringing things to 36-30 with 15:31 remaining. She finished 5-for-5 from three-point land.
James and Nainima went for back-to-back lay-ins, opening up the game's first double-digit margin, 40-30. At the 11:59 mark, senior guard Shanay Freeman (Laurelton, NY/Towsend Harris) hit a wide open look from downtown, capping a 5-0 answer to cut the deficit to 42-36.
“We were able to continually get it [the deficit] down to six, but couldn't get past that margin,” Cinella said. “Long Island held strong on their home court. Regardless, I'm proud of the emotion our team played with today.”
Freeman popped a three from the left wing with 9:40 left, creating a 46-41 contest. Two-consecutive three-balls by Johnson ? who went for 13 points in the final 20 minutes ? punctuated a 12-2 burst that gave Long Island a 58-43 stronghold at the 6:05 mark.
Fairleigh Dickinson's defense held LIU scoreless for 4:09, chipping-away to a 10-point hole, but couldn't capitalize in the game's waning minutes. The Blackbirds tallied 10 offensive rips in the second-half.
Nainima recorded a team-high 20 points and nine rebounds, while James snatched a team-leading 10 boards for Long Island. Johnson added 19 points.
Five seniors exit the program, while nine Knights return for Cinella's second season at the helm.
