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HACKENSACK – If Fairleigh Dickinson is a Cinderella in this year’s NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament, then its coach, Stephanie Gaitley, must be the fairy godmother.
The Knights clinched their first-ever NCAA bid on Thursday night after beating Chicago State, 90-61, in the semifinals of the Northeast Conference Tournament before an amped crowd at Bogota Savings Bank Center.
Teneisia Brown scored a game-high 23 points and 13 rebounds and Lilly Parke hit for 21 points as top-seeded FDU (28-3) stretched its win streak to 21 straight, one of the longest in the nation, and the longest in program history. The Knights have now won 24 of their last 25 games with their last loss an 83-58 setback against Rutgers on December 11 in Piscataway.
Gaitley, who took over prior to the 2023-24 season, is coaching her sixth Division I team and has sprinkled her pixie dust on another program after taking her fourth team to “The Dance.” Previously, she led Richmond, Saint Joseph’s and Fordham, to the Promised Land and now all six stops to postseason tournaments.
With the Knights headed to the NCAAs, it’s Gaitley’s verve, passion and physical embodiment of positivity that finally pushed the program over the finish line.
Check back for updates
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: FDU women's basketball clinches first NCAA Tournament berth
Continue reading...
The Knights clinched their first-ever NCAA bid on Thursday night after beating Chicago State, 90-61, in the semifinals of the Northeast Conference Tournament before an amped crowd at Bogota Savings Bank Center.
Teneisia Brown scored a game-high 23 points and 13 rebounds and Lilly Parke hit for 21 points as top-seeded FDU (28-3) stretched its win streak to 21 straight, one of the longest in the nation, and the longest in program history. The Knights have now won 24 of their last 25 games with their last loss an 83-58 setback against Rutgers on December 11 in Piscataway.
Gaitley, who took over prior to the 2023-24 season, is coaching her sixth Division I team and has sprinkled her pixie dust on another program after taking her fourth team to “The Dance.” Previously, she led Richmond, Saint Joseph’s and Fordham, to the Promised Land and now all six stops to postseason tournaments.
With the Knights headed to the NCAAs, it’s Gaitley’s verve, passion and physical embodiment of positivity that finally pushed the program over the finish line.
Check back for updates
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: FDU women's basketball clinches first NCAA Tournament berth
Continue reading...
