BANGOR, Maine — Victoria McIntyre admitted there was some pressure on her after winning the North Atlantic Conference Player of the Year Award.
Her shots weren’t falling, and the senior from Mars Hill was getting roughed up under the basket on Friday afternoon, but she got hot late.
McIntyre scored 13 of her game-high 20 points in the fourth quarter, including nine during a clinching run that lifted Husson University to a 69-55 women’s basketball victory over New England College in the semifinals of the NAC tournament at Newman Gym.
“I was a little nervous for a while. I’m just glad I came out of it,” McIntyre said.
Coach Kissy Walker’s No. 1 Eagles (20-6) advance to face No. 2 Castleton University, which had a 69-55 win over Maine Maritime Academy on Friday, in the championship game at 2 p.m. Saturday.
Third-seeded New England College wound up 19-8.
Husson intensified its transition defense, picked up the offensive tempo and used an effective inside-out approach to overcome the Pilgrims.
“They’re tough because they’re so athletic,” said Walker, whose team earned the program’s first postseason victory since 2010 and registered its 12th consecutive win overall.
New England College ousted Husson from the playoffs each of the previous three years.
“They’ve got good quickness, and they’re more physical than we are, so we knew that they were going to be a tough matchup,” Walker added.
Freshman Kenzie Worcester of Washburn scored 19 points with five rebounds, three steals and two assists for the Eagles, and Darla Morales provided 11 points and three assists. Becca Young contributed eight points, seven rebounds and four assists.
Husson committed only 10 turnovers.
Marjani Lillard posted a double-double for New England College with 19 points and 10 rebounds along with six steals, four blocked shots and three assists. She also had eight of her team’s 18 turnovers.
Utshana Durham tallied 14 points, and Breana Ramirez finished with six points and 10 rebounds for New England College, which outrebounded the Eagles 41-35.
The Pilgrims turned up the heat with a diamond-and-one press in the fourth quarter, which helped the team score five straight points to cut Husson’s lead to 58-52 with 5:15 remaining.
McIntyre and the Eagles made an emphatic response.
McIntyre converted a low-post move, then Worcester hit a 16-foot jumper. McIntyre knocked down a 3-pointer and answered a New England College miss with a 17-footer that gave the Eagles an insurmountable 67-52 advantage with 1:12 left.
“She is just such a tough kid. She keeps getting up and going back at it and played like the player of the year down the stretch,” Walker said.
Husson played better defense in the second half and took advantage of its speed in the open court.
“I think we just worked on our transition defense a lot better, getting back,” Worcester said. “One thing we looked to do was even after they make it, push it right at them.”
Husson’s ability to spread the floor and get the ball to Young in the post also was instrumental in the improved offense.
“Becca stepped it up in that second half and scored some points and opened things up,” Walker said.