WEST HARTFORD, CONN. – No. 4 seed Albany (13-15) sank three free throws in the final 17 seconds and edged No. 5 seed Hartford 52-50 in a Friendship Cottage Cheese America East Championship quarterfinal game from Chase Family Arena. Hartford missed five of its final six shots and managed just five field goals in the second half (19%), but Albany never pulled away, as its lead swayed between two and six points for the final 13 minutes.
Hartford junior guard Liz Stich nailed a three-pointer with 2:49 left to cut the Great Danes’ lead to 49-46. Albany then missed its next three shots, but despite three consecutive possessions in which a three-pointer or three-point play would have tied the game, the Hawks went 0-for-4 from the field and could not find an equalizer. The final minutes of the game were played at a frenetic pace, and fouls on both sides led to the teams trading free throw attempts in the closing seconds. Albany junior forward Maree Jones made a free throw with 14 seconds left to make it a two-possession game (51-47), and a subsequent missed shot by Hartford on the other end essentially sealed the game. The Great Danes added a final free throw with six seconds left to prevent any heroics by Hartford, as a Hawks three-pointer at the buzzer was inconsequential.
Junior forward Alicia Learn led Albany with a game-high 19 points on 8-of-15 shooting. She also grabbed seven rebounds and had three steals. Jones chipped in 10 for the Great Danes, who won despite receiving little contribution from America East all-star Danielle Hutcheson. Hutcheson, who was a first-team all-conference selection, was limited to just 15 minutes because of foul trouble. She scored three points and had four rebounds before fouling out with 4:56 left in the game.
Stich posted her first career double-double for Hartford, scoring 14 points and pulling down a game-high 11 rebounds. Freshman guard Ikea Witt scored 11 points and grabbed seven rebounds for the Hawks. Despite going 1-of-4 from the field, Witt connected on 9-of-10 free throws.
Albany established its lead in the second half with a 13-0 run early in the period. Hartford led 26-23 at halftime and added one to that lead with a free throw to start the half. However, the Hawks then went scoreless for more than five minutes while Albany made six of eight shots to build a 36-27 lead just five minutes into the half. The teams played an even first half that featured three ties and five lead changes. A Hartford three-pointer with 2:01 left in the frame broke a 23-23 tie and gave the Hawks the halftime advantage.
The game marked the America East Championship debut for Albany, which did not qualify for what was then an eight-team tournament during its first two years in the league. The Great Danes will face top-seeded Maine in Friday’s first semifinal. The Black Bears beat No. 8 seed New Hampshire 66-40 earlier in the evening.