By Joseph Caruso
Staff Writer
The College’s women's basketball team steamrolled the New Jersey Athletic Conference tournament, defeating Rutgers-Camden in the semifinal before demolishing William Paterson 78-55 to take home the NJAC Championship.
After starting the season losing their first six games, the College faced an uphill battle if they wanted to play meaningful basketball in 2026. With that being said, the Lions never faltered, going a blistering 14-4 in NJAC play and ending the season winning nine of their last 10 games en route to the championship game.
As a result of their resurgence, the Lions held a first round bye in the NJAC Tournament, hosting Rutgers-Camden in the second round. In their third faceoff of the season, a well-balanced Lions attack led to an early lead for the College, who jumped out to a double-digit first half lead, 40-22.
The Lions offense didn’t cool down, tallying 10 three-pointers and shooting extremely well from the field. Three different Lions cracked double digit points, including sophomore Amanda Baylock who led the squad with 15 points. Sophomore Brooke McFadden and senior Katie Fricker each chipped in 13 points.
In the end, the College took care of business, beating Rutgers-Camden 79-58 to advance to the NJAC Championship, their fourth appearance in the last five seasons, having yet to win any of them.
In order for the College to get over the hump, they would have to go on the road to face off against No. 23 William Paterson, who beat the College by double digits in each of their first two meetings.
The Lions came out playing suffocating defense, holding William Paterson to just eight points in the first quarter, despite scoring just nine themselves. The College’s defense was the story of the night, as they completely stymied the top-seeded Pioneers, forcing them to shoot just 32.1% from the field and 2-17 from three.
After the first quarter, the College’s offense woke up, improving their points total in each quarter, scoring 50 total points in the second half en route to a 78-55 victory.
The College saved their best offensive performance for their final game, shooting a scorching 54.5% from the field in the final three quarters of the game. Another balanced attack from the Lions saw four different players in double digits.
Fricker led the way with 17 points, concluding her stellar NJAC career with a much deserved championship. The senior was also named to the NJAC All-Second Team.
Junior Riley Ahrens followed with 16 points and a team-high five rebounds. McFadden and junior Grace Kowlaski each chipped in 14 points. Kowalski also dished out seven assists in an impressive all around effort.
The turnaround of the College was nothing short of remarkable, and a perfect way to finally secure an NJAC Championship for the first time in over 15 years. The Lions now get to play March basketball, being granted an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament as a result of winning the NJAC.
The Lions will travel to Ohio to face off against No. 11 John Carroll University in the first round on Friday, March 6.
