D'Youville University Repeats as USCAA Division I Women's Basketball National Champions

D'Youville University Repeats as USCAA Division I Women's Basketball National Champions
March 16, 2023

ETTRICK, Va. -- Tournament MVP Anna Jankovic scored 14 points and hauled in 14 rebounds to pace four in double figures as the D’Youville Saints defeated the Salem Tigers 71-64 for the 2023 USCAA Women’s Division I National Championship on Thursday afternoon. 

In the first period, both teams struggled early as neither team held more than a four-point lead throughout the period as a Morgan Giancaterino jumper with with 4:15 remaining in the period put D’Youville (13-14) up 8-4. 

Salem (15-17) answered with a brief flurry to tie the game at 11-all following a 3-pointer from Daniela Quesada with 1:58 left. Her jumper with three seconds left in the first put the Tigers up 16-14. 

Neither team held a significant advantage in the second quarter as Salem’s Elena Pericic hit a pair of free throws with 50 seconds left to put the teams tied at 27 heading into halftime. 

The third period saw Salem get the first bit of breathing room on the heels of a 12-3 run to take a 39-32 lead on a Quesada layup with just over four minutes left in the period. D’Youville answered with a 10-2 run for a 42-41 advantage on a three-point play by Jaelyn Vleer-Elliott with 94 seconds remaining. 

Salem closed the period scoring the last five points as Anna Machykova beat the buzzer with a jumper to put the Tigers up 46-42 after three quarters. 

In the fourth, the Saints found their shooting touch torching the nets hitting 9-of-14 (64.3%) from the field to score 29 points. All-Tournament selection Stella Mollica had 10  points and dished out four assists in the period. 

Quesada put Salem up 50-46 with a layup at the 7:35 mark before the Saints used a 13-1 run to lead 59-51 off a Jankovic layup with 2:18 left to ice the game. 

Vleer-Elliott had 13 points, Giancaterino added 12 points and Haley Kirstis had 10 for D’Youville. Salem was topped in scoring by Quesada scoring a game-high 26 points, while Pericic added 14 each off the bench. Kirsten Cross had a team-high 10 rebounds for the Tigers..

 

ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM

Bluefield State, Jr., G, Aerihna Afoa

D’Youville, Jr., G, Brianne Moxley

Salem, Gr., G, Nerea Arambarri Fern

D’Youville, So., G, Stella Mollica

Salem, Gr., G, Daniella Quesada

 

MVP: D’Youville, So., G, Anna Jankovic