Championship Saturday had a lot to offer, especially for those teams who secured automatic bids to the 2010 NCAA Tournament.
Four teams did so by beating ranked foes for the third time this season. No. 4 Hope defeated archrival No. 11 Calvin 68-49 to win the MIAA title. The Flying Dutch used a 15-0 run to take the lead at the half and never looked back. Moravian won its 20th game in a row and the Landmark Conference's first automatic bid to the NCAA tournament by downing No. 15 Scranton 66-49. The Greyhounds held the Lady Royals to nine points over the final 12:34 of the game.
Selection show: Watch the NCAA's selection show, Monday, 12:30 p.m. ET
No. 2 Kean beat No. 8 William Paterson 70-62 despite preseason All-American Melissa Beyruti being held scoreless. The Cougars used a 15-4 run to snap a 40-40 tie and pull away for the NJAC title, but Beyruti left the game with an injury. No. 5 George Fox hammered No. 13 Puget Sound 77-51 to capture the NWC championship.
&&f-boxl&&Get caught up on the day's action through Saturday's women's scoreboard and check out the list of teams with automatic bids to the NCAA tournament.
In other Top 25 showdowns, No. 7 Marymount won the rubber match against No. 24 Mary Washington 50-48 after splitting the regular season series. The victory gives coach Bill Finney, who is retiring after this season, another CAC title. No. 20 Messiah only won one game against No. 19 Lebanon Valley this year, but it was the one that mattered most. The Falcons defeated the Flying Dutchmen 60-55 to capture the MAC Commonwealth title.
In afternoon action, two Cinderella stories had an unhappy ending for the underdogs as No. 16 Thomas More beat Westminster (Pa.) to win the PAC, 77-67 and Medaille beat Pitt-Bradford 59-52 to win the AMCC.
Still, there have been some surprises. Massachusetts College, which was just 4-8 in the MASCAC regular season, hung on to beat Worcester State 68-65 in the conference tournament final. St. Thomas, which was the five seed in the MIAC, topped St. Benedict 65-62 in overtime. Utica beat Ithaca 38-37 (yes, that's a final) on Jessica Berry's layup at the buzzer. The Bombers had not lost to a conference opponent before today and entered the week as the top team in the NCAA's East region rankings. The teams shot a combined 29-for-110 (26 percent).
No. 12 Christopher Newport completed its undefeated run to the NCAA tournament by beating Ferrum 82-70. No. 1 Amherst can do the same tomorrow after blowing out Bates in today's semifinal 77-43. Jaimie McFarlin recorded a double-double with a season-high 18 points and 11 rebounds as No. 6 Washington U. claimed the automatic bid from the UAA with a 71-60 victory at No. 21 Chicago. UW-Stevens Point rallied from a 13 point halftime deficit at UW-Whitewater to win the WIAC championship 68-64.
Baruch survived a 28-point effort from Hunter's 4-foot-9 point guard Shamar Stewartson to win its third straight CUNYAC title, 93-84. Western Connecticut defeated Southern Maine 61-46 which may end the Huskies' long run of NCAA tournament appearances. They have not missed the tournament since 1994. One of the last games of the day was also one of the best. Redlands scored the first six points in overtime and hung on to beat Occidental, 55-54.