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2001-2002
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
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Wednesday, February 27, 2002 Fairleigh
Dickinson Looking to Ground Blackbirds in NEC Tournament First-Round
Matchup
HACKENSACK, NJ
– The Fairleigh Dickinson University (14-13, 9-9 NEC) women’s
basketball team qualified for post-season, advancing to the 2002
Northeast Conference Tournament. Third-year head coach Sandy Gordon
Gaglioti and her coaching staff will lead the team in its third
straight NEC Tournament appearance. As the #7 seed they will
face the #2 seed Long Island Blackbirds in the first round on
Saturday, March 2nd at 5:30 p.m. Quarterfinals and
semifinals are held on the campus of Mt. St. Mary’s College in
Emmitsburg, Maryland on Saturday, March 2 and Sunday, March 3. The NEC
Championship game will be played at the highest remaining seed on
March 9 in a matchup that will be aired live on MSG-TV beginning at
5:00 p.m. The Knights make their
third consecutive appearance in the post-season after missing the NEC
Tournament in 1998-99. Including
this year, the Knights have appeared in 14 of 16 NEC Tournaments,
including 10 of the past 11. Fairleigh
Dickinson has won two NEC Championships (1990 and 1992), defeating Mt.
St. Mary’s—this season’s host—in both final matchups. Sophomore guard Natallia
Marchanka (Rechitsa, Belarus/Rep. School of Olympic Reserve) leads
the team in scoring (17.3 ppg), assists (4.92 apg) and steals (2.0 spg),
while ranking second in the NEC in scoring, fourth in steals and tied
for sixth in assists. In last season’s first round tournament loss
to Quinnipiac Marchanka scored 33 points, recording the most points
ever scored by a freshman in a tournament game and third most points
overall. NEC Rookie of the Year
candidate freshman forward Kay Odenwaelder (Goshen, Conn./Holy
Cross) won her league-leading fourth NEC Rookie of the Week award
this week, after tallying double-doubles against both St. Francis (PA)
(16 points & 10 rebounds) and Robert Morris (career-high 31 points
& 11 rebounds). On
the year Odenwaelder leads the Knights in rebounding (6.8 rpg) and
ranks second on the team in scoring (9.3 ppg). The 2001-2002
post-season awards will be announced on Friday, March 1st
at the pre-tournament banquet. * * * KNIGHTS * * * |
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