Ortiz
JESSE CAREY
73
Winner Marywood MWD 14-12,8-6 Atlantic East
71
Marymount (VA) Marym 13-13,10-4 Atlantic East
Winner
Marywood MWD
14-12,8-6 Atlantic East
73
Final
71
Marymount (VA) Marym
13-13,10-4 Atlantic East
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Marywood MWD 20 21 22 10 73
Marymount (VA) Marym 15 14 16 26 71

Game Recap: Women's Basketball |

FINALS BOUND! Marywood Heads to Conference Final for First Time in 41 Years

Anyah Ortiz, Kendel Card sink game-winning free throws

Arlington, Va. — Marywood University reached a women's basketball conference tournament championship game for the first time in 41 years on Thursday. The third-seeded Pacers upset Marymount University 73-71 in the Atlantic East Conference semifinals. 

Marywood will face top-seeded Immaculata University on Saturday in the Atlantic East final. The Pacers tip off against the Mighty Macs at 2 p.m. in East Whiteland Twp., Pa.

The Pacers defeated Marymount University for the first time in program history. The Pacers had previously been winless in 15 contests against the Saints. 

The Saints erased a 20-point deficit against the Pacers for the third time this season with 90 seconds remaining. After Catie Kolwey's layup put the Saints ahead by one point, Marymount added to the lead when former All-American Chandler Eddleton made one of two free throws with just over a minute remaining. 

Megan Cavoli drew a foul on a driving layup, connecting both free throws to even the score at 71-71 with 53 seconds left. On the other end, Alli Anstadt intercepted a pass. Anyah Ortiz gave the Pacers (14-12) a lead with a free throw with eight seconds remaining on the clock. 

Eddleton's put-back layup rolled out of the basket's rim and into the hands of Kendel Card. After a quick foul, Card made a free throw to secure the victory. 

Ortiz led the Pacers with 26 points, seven assists and three steals. She shot 11 of 20 from the field. It was a season-high production for Ortiz, earning her most points since a 28-point effort (versus Wilson) as a Keystone Giant in 2023-24. 

Cavoli scored a career-high 23 points to complement seven assists. She had 19 points in the first three quarters alone, finishing the night with a 9 for 18 shooting performance. 

Olivia Ciullo had a team-high seven rebounds. 

Eddleton ended her career with 19 points and 13 rebounds for the Saints. Cara Vollmer (17) and Kaylah Barr (16) also reached double figures. 

All three meetings between the Saints and Pacers were decided either in overtime or in the final 10 seconds of regulation. 

Marywood used a 12-2 run to take a 39-27 lead on Anstadt's layup in the opening half. Cavoli's layup in the paint sent the Pacers to halftime with a 12-point lead. 

The Pacers stretched their lead to 20 points for the third time against the Saints this season. Tamari Hubbard made a bucket in the paint to go ahead 54-34 with 4:05 left. 

Marymount started the first five minutes of the fourth quarter on a 20-2 run, thanks to a defensive press. Kayla Barr's layup tied the game for the first time in the second half with 5:28 left. Anstadt quickly responded with a made layup off a Cavoli assist. 

The Saints had the good fortune of a Kayla Barr 3-pointer at the top of the key to take a one-point lead with 3:08 to go. 

Marywood shot 44.8 percent to the Saints' 48.4 percent mark. The Saints had a 44-33 advantage in rebounds. The Saints coughed the ball up 13 times to the Pacers' 17. 

Coach Tara Macciocco reaches a conference final for the first time in her coaching career. Marywood had previously won the now-defunct Northeastern Pennsylvania Women's Intercollegiate Athletic Association (NPWIAA) in 1984-85 and 1979-80. Marywood defeated Drew College to win the NPWIAA in 1984-85. 

The Pacers look to make their first NCAA Division III tournament appearance since 1986-87. 
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