NEW YORK (AP) — Britney Hodges scored 23 points and Samantha Leach added 20 to help Saint Francis, Pa. beat Long Island 77-68 on Sunday in the Northeast Conference championship game.
The Red Flash (17-14) won the league’s automatic NCAA tournament bid for the first time since 2005. Saint Francis had won nine conference titles from 1995-2005 and as the No. 5 seed became the lowest to win the championship.
Saint Francis has won 32 of its last 33 games in the NEC tournament. The lone loss came last season in the title game against Sacred Heart.
Ashley Palmer scored 20 points and grabbed 12 rebounds while Chelsi Johnson added 17 for LIU (22-10), which was making its fourth appearance in the NEC title game. The Blackbirds, who last played in the championship game two years ago, have only won once back in 2001.
