Singleton Carries Davis to First Women's Basketball Title

Posted: Feb 17, 2019

NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. — Scoring a game-high 35 points in the title game on 10-of-16 shooting, Davis College freshman Elizabeth Singleton (Schenectady, N.Y.) led the top-seeded Falcons to an 80-57 victory over No. 2 College of New Rochelle to capture the 2019 Hudson Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championship on Sunday afternoon at the CNR Wellness Center.

Singleton, also named the league’s Player of the Year, averaged a tournament-high 30.0 points on 60 percent shooting to lead the Falcons (19-3) to their first HVIAC title in school history.

The win also avenged a loss to the Blue Angels in the 2018 championship game where New Rochelle (11-15) rallied from a 14-point deficit to upset the regular season champion. Unlike the 2018 final, the Falcons trailed only momentarily early in the game and built a 10-point lead, 22-12, at the first intermission, and continued to expand their lead throughout on the strength on 46 percent shooting (27-59) while holding CNR to just 24 percent (20-85) on their home floor.

Singleton finished shooting 10-of-16 shooting in the final with eight rebounds, four assists, and three blocks. Sophomore Michaela McLeod (West Milford, N.J.) finished one rebound shy of a double-double with 13 points and nine caroms and freshman Alison Aten (Streetsboro, Ohio), later named Rookie of the Year, also flirted with a double-double with nine points and nine rebounds.

Junior Dar’Neisha Brice (California, Md./Great Mills), who carried the Blue Angels to the title in 2018 as Tournament MVP, led New Rochelle with 17 points. Julee Martinez (Queens, N.Y./Monsignor McClancy) chipped in eight points.

Both teams cruised through their semifinal wins to set up the rematch. Singleton scored a game-high 25 with six rebounds and Braedyn Mims (Calvert County, Md.) recorded a 15-point, 11-rebound double-double to lead the Falcons past tournament-newcomer No. 4 King’s, 68-30, in the first semi. Brice led three Blue Angels with 15 points and four assists and Alexandria Knight (Briarcliff Manor, N.Y./Putnam Valley) added 10 points and 12 rebounds in a 67-47 triumph over No. 3 Albany Pharmacy in the second semifinal.

With their first title, the Falcons also earn the league's automatic berth in the United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) National Championship, which will be held in Uniontown, Pennsylvania from March 1-6. Currently ranked No. 8 in the last USCAA Coaches Poll, the full tournament field for the championship will be announced on February 23.

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