The women won their third consecutive NE10 Championship while the men extended their historic run to nine straight, a standard the athletes have come to expect.
Catcher Karley Austin, a junior, makes contact with the ball. Photos by William Gagné
“Everyone’s hungry. Everyone just keeps pushing each other. You can feel it in the locker room and on the court. Everyone’s got each other’s backs,” guard Jaycee Merizalde, a freshman, said.
Seattle kept their foot on the gas throughout the night and kept the Patriots from getting near the endzone. New England struggled to move the ball consistently, as Seattle’s defensive pressure limited
“Justice was special today. We want to give him confidence every game. We just got him the ball, and he executed,” Diarra said. “He was jumping out the gym.”
“They out-hustled us,” Lynch said. “We weren’t ready, we weren’t getting after loose balls or defending shooters. We just didn’t do it tonight. And that’s the result you get when you play
The teams will travel to Kenosha, Wisconsin on Saturday, Nov. 22 to compete in the NCAA Division II Championships. Thirty-four schools will be competing on both sides.