BALTIMORE, MD — It was déjà vu for The College of New Rochelle basketball team, as the Blue Angels successfully defended their Women’s College Tip-Off Tournament title with a 73-63 win over host Notre Dame of Maryland University this afternoon. For the second straight season, CNR’s Jah-Leah Ellis (Chicago, IL/Hun School of Princeton) was named Tournament MVP.
Ellis poured in a game-high 24 points to go along with nine rebounds and four steals to earn MVP honors. She was joined on the all-tournament team by teammate Alyssa Pechin (Yonkers, NY/Our Lady of Victory), who added 23 points, eight rebounds four assists and three steals in the victory. Rookie Hannah Cambel (Houston, TX/Westbury Christian) chipped in with 15 points.
Allyson Whitacre paced the Gators with 16 points and 11 rebounds.
The teams traded baskets in the early going before Notre Dame used a 5-0 run to turn a 6-6 tie into an 11-6 lead, the Gators’ largest of the game, with 15:42 remaining in the opening stanza. CNR rallied to tie the score at 13-13 and neither team led by more than four until the Blue Angels used an 8-0 run to open up a nine point lead, 38-29, with 2:47 left before the break, capped by an Ellis jumper. CNR took a 40-32 advantage into the half.
Notre Dame scored the first basket of the second half to make the score 40-34, but the Blue Angels seized control of the game with a 12-1 run to take their largest lead of the game, 52-35, following to Pechin free throws with 16:08 left in the game. The Gators did not get their deficit to less than 10 points until there was just over a minute left in the game, drawing as close as seven on two occasions, but getting no closer.
CNR returns to the court on Friday, November 21, hosting the College of Mt. St. Vincent in a Blue Angels’ home opener slated to begin at 7:00 PM. The 2014 HVIAC Tournament Championship banner will be unveiled in a brief ceremony prior to the game.