Box Score Waltham, MA - The Adelphi University women's basketball team concluded its historical campaign Saturday evening, in an 85-83 loss to cross-town rivals LIU Post at the Dana Center on the campus of Bentley University. The squad ended with a 23-8 overall record and returned to the NCAA Division II East Regional tournament for the first time since 2001. The Pioneers will continue on to the NCAA Division II East Regional championship game and face the winner of the Bentley University/Stonehill College matchup.
 
Leading Adelphi offensively was senior Sade Jackson, who accounted for 26 points in her final collegiate contest. Two other Panthers found themselves in double-figures as Jessica Kitrys contributed 22 and Calli Balfour had 11 points and 13 rebounds. The team was nearly perfect at the free-throw line, shooting 24-26 throughout the game.
 
The Brown and Gold were first to jump on the scoreboard, with a Jackson to Kelly Mannix combo at the 19:32 mark. Kitrys drew a foul some time later and made both shots to give Adelphi a 4-0 lead. With 14:11 remaining on the clock, LIU took their first lead of the game, 14-13, on a Kiki Sears layup. Jackson responded seconds later with a three-point shot to regain the lead, 16-14.
 
Three triples in a span of two minutes kick-started a 24-4 run in favor of the Green and Gold that made the score 38-20 with 8:15 left on the clock. After drawing a foul with 33.2 seconds remaining in the first half, Kitrys shot 2-2 at the charity stripe to bring the Panthers within eight of the Pioneers, 50-42
 
Melanie O'Brien took a charge under the basket to return possession to the Brown and Gold with under 20 seconds to play, but Adelphi still trailed by six heading into the locker room.

Kitrys led all players with 19 points in the first half and the team shooting 100% from the free throw line, as LIU Posts' Kiki Sears contributed 17 for the Pioneers.  
 
After the break, Mannix was the first to score after several missed shots by the Pioneers. More missed shots followed by rebounds and turnovers got the teams to the middle of the second half. A quick lay-in by Jackson brought the Panthers within eight of LIU, 66-58 with 10:59 left.
 
Balfour found Jackson beyond the arc to cut the Pioneer lead to four, 78-74. On the ensuing possession, Kitrys nailed both of her shots at the free throw line to bring the score within two, 78-76. Jackson drained another trey from downtown minutes later to regain the lead for the Panthers for the first time since the first half, 79-78 with 2:19 left in the game.
 
The final two minutes saw the Panthers fighting for a chance to advance to the championship game. Jackson drained both of her free throws and finished a nice layup to bring her squad within one of the Pioneers, 84-83. Nuss committed a foul with 12 seconds on the clock, sending Chelsea Williams to the line. Making 1-2, the Brown and Gold pushed down the court, calling a timeout with three seconds left. Inbounding the ball under the basket, the Panthers would be unable to beat the buzzer as time expired, and the win went to the LIU Post Pioneers.
 
In what proved to be a historical season for the squad, they finished 23-8 overall and were named Northeast-10 Southwest Division Champions and NCAA Division II Semifinalists.