ALBANY, N.Y. - The University at Albany Great Danes became just the second team in America East history to win four-straight America East titles with an, 84-75, win over the Hartford Hawks in the 2015 America East women's basketball title game on Friday evening at SEFCU Arena.
Behind 28 points from the tournament's Most Outstanding Player, Shereesha Richards, Albany earns the America East's automatic bid to the 2015 NCAA Championship. It is the fourth trip to the Big Dance in program history.
Richards, who became the first player since Maine's Cindy Blodgett in 1997 to score 20-plus points in three-straight tournament games, was joined on the All-Tournament Team by teammates Imani Tate and Sarah Royals. Tate had 18 points and nine boards in the final and averaged 16.0 points in and eight rebounds for the tournament. Royals, who eclipsed the 1,000-point mark for her career, had eight points and eight assists in the final.
Hartford's Cherelle Moore and Deanna Mayza also earned selections to the All-Tournament Team. Moore had 22 points and seven rebounds in the final after leading the Hawks to upset victories over New Hampshire and top-seeded Maine to get to the final. Mayza had an outstanding title game with 22 points on 8-of-12 shooting with five assists. The sophomore totaled 19 assists for the tournament.
In the third-highest scoring championship game in conference history (159 points), Albany set a tournament championship record by shooting 62.5 percent from the field for the game. The squad also set a championship game record with 28 assists. Richards and Tate led the effort while freshman Tiana-Jo Carter added 16.
The Hawks suffered a pair of significant injuries in the early going as sophomore Morgan Lumb and senior captain Amber Bepko both went down with apparent leg inuries, but Moore and Mayza stepped-up with huge offensive performances.
Albany went into halftime with a 39-29 lead after shooing 58.6 percent in the first half. Tate paced the squad with 10 points as all seven Great Danes that played also scored in the first half.
Hartford came out of the locker room on fire, hitting five of its first seven shots. The hot shooting was part of a 13-6 spurt that pulled the Hawks withing three at the 13:32 mark of the second half.
Albany responded with a 12-2 run that featured six points each from Tate and Richards to expand the lead back to double-digits at 57-44 with 10:55 remaining. The Great Danes would not allow the Hawks to get back within single digits.
Richards poured in 20 of her 28 in the second half on her way to become just the fifth player in America East history to be named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player multiple times and the first since Vermont's Courtnay Pilypaitis in 2009 and 2010.
Albany will discover its opponent in the 2015 NCAA Championship during the selection show on Monday, March 15 at 4:30 p.m. that will air live on ESPNU.