EAST HAVEN, Conn. - No. 15 FDU women's bowling finished the final weekend of Northeast Conference play 5-2 in Baker match play action, clinching the NEC regular season crown for the seventh time in program history and with that, the top seed for the NEC Championship, scheduled to be held March 24-26 in Hamilton, N.J. at Hamilton Lanes.

Entering the weekend with a 12-2 record in league play, the Knights looked to expand their lead on second-place Duquense who would battle back for a share of the league title having finished with an identical mark of 17-4 overall. FDU earns the league's best seed in the upcoming tournament after defeated the Dukes in two of three conference meetings this season.

In 400 frames over two days, the Knights, coached by Mike LoPresti, rolled 170 strikes while finishing off nearly 80 percent of makeable spares, knocking crucial sticks in a format that emphasizes picking each other up and keeping lines going.

Sophomore Allysha Howard filled 88.8 percent of her 80 frames, averaging 9.19 pins per first ball for a two-day frame average of 20.36 sticks. The southpaw matched senior Cameron Spring's team-leading 41 strikes as the pair combined for 30 Baker strike doubles.

FDU opened the weekend with three-straight victories on Saturday, besting No. 23 Merrimack, the league's newest program, 4-3, St. Francis Brooklyn (4-2), and No. 25 Sacred Heart (4-1) before falling to No. 11 Duquesne in the day's finale, 4-2.

On day two, the Burgundy and Blue toppled Wagner in five games (4-1), fell to Saint Francis U [Pa.] by the same 4-1 tally and closed league play with a six-game win over LIU - a taste of revenge as the Sharks knocked FDU out of the NEC tournament last season.

Two regular season events remain for the Knights before the quest for the sixth NEC tournament title in program history gets underway as FDU is scheduled to compete in the New Jersey Open on Feb. 24-26 and the Northeast Roundup on March 18-19. The 2022-23 Northeast Conference Women's Bowling Championship will take place on March 24 through 26 at Hamilton Lanes. Click here for Championship Headquarters.

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