Undefeated Transylvania advances to its first women’s Final Four with victory over NYU
New York University was expected to be a difficult opponent.
Like Transylvania (31-0), the Violets had reached their second straight Elite Eight in the NCAA Division III women’s tournament. The Pioneers had finished the regular season ranked second; NYU was sixth.
What resulted was a 79-63 Pioneers victory in front of a packed Clive M. Beck Center crowd, giving Transylvania its first trip to the Final Four in program history.
“It gets redundant to talk about how proud I am of this group of athletes,” Transylvania head coach Juli Fulks said. “But this weekend showcased their tenacity, competitiveness and willingness to come together on any game plan to win.”
NYU (25-3) came out firing, clearly prepared for the juggernaut that is Transylvania basketball. The Violets took an early 12-6 lead, limiting the Pioneers from long range and exploiting them defensively.
But, in true Transylvania fashion, the Pioneers didn’t panic; they made adjustments.
“Coach Fulks just kept telling me to wipe it away,” Transylvania forward Laken Ball said of in-game mistakes. “Forget the last play and keep playing on. And I think they really prepare us for that during practice and they put obstacles in our way. And I think we’re mentally prepared for these games.”
One stop, one score, one play at a time, the Pioneers fought their way to their first lead of the game. Following a pair of free throws from forward Dasia Thornton, Transylvania went ahead 18-17 with 54 seconds remaining in the first quarter.
The Pioneers proceeded to outscore the Violets 12-9 in the second quarter. And, despite a strong effort from NYU that included hitting more than five times the number of three-pointers than Transylvania (11-for-27 vs. 2-for-15) the Pioneers held onto the lead the rest of the way.
“That’s a game we’ve worked towards all season because we got to beat out at this round last year,” said Maddie Kellione, a senior guard out of Harrison County. “And to be on top this year, I mean, it hasn’t completely sunk in yet. But tomorrow it’s gonna feel really good.”
Three Pioneers scored at least 20 points: Former Magoffin County star Kennedi Stacy dropped a game-high 23 points to go with nine rebounds; Thornton had double-double with 22 points and 17 boards; and Kellione contributed 20 points.
Next game
Transylvania vs. Smith College
What: NCAA Division III Final Four
When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday
Where: Hartford, Conn.
Records: Transylvania 31-0; Smith 30-1
Other semifinal: Christopher Newport (30-0) vs. Rhode Island College (28-3), 5 p.m. Saturday
