North Atlantic Conference Player of the Year Bailey Donovan scored 24 points and hauled down 19 rebounds, both game-highs, and the Husson University women’s basketball team outscored host Maine Maritime Academy 23-10 in the fourth quarter to rally past the Mariners 66-55 in Castine Saturday afternoon in their NAC East Division championship game.
Husson, now 18-5, 05, will travel to play West Division champ SUNY Poly next Saturday at 2 p.m. in the NAC title game.
The winner will advance to the NCAA Division III tournament.
Husson will be seeking its sixth straight NAC title.
MMA, which led by as many as 10 in the first half, concluded a 20-4 season.
Donovan’s layup with 4:47 left gave Husson the lead for good at 53-52.
Trinity Montigny converted a traditional 3-point play 25 seconds later and Donovan made it 58-52 with a pair of free throws with 3:13 left.
Lauren Cook’s three with 2:18 left sliced the lead to three but MMA never scored again as the Mariners went 4-for-18 from the floor in the fourth quarter compared to Husson’s 6-for-14.
Donovan answered Cook’s three with a layup 20 seconds later and Megan Peach hit a jumper off a Montigny pass with 1:12 remaining to all but sew up the win.
Husson added four free throws to ice it.
Donovan had two blocked shots and two assists to go with her 24 points and 19 rebounds. Sophie McVicar had 10 points, Makaelyn Porter had nine points and four rebounds. Peach contributed eight points, nine rebounds and four assists.
Montigny added six points, five rebounds and two steals and Vanessa Duarte had six points, two rebounds and two steals.
Erianna Moore’s 13 points, nine rebounds, four assists and two steals sparked MMA. Cook had 12 points and Lauren Plissey had 11 points, six rebounds and six blocked shots.
Maria Barela had nine points, seven rebounds and four assists. Sydney Echevarria-Briscoe chipped in with six points, five rebounds and two assists in 11 minutes.