Tournament Homepage | Empire 8 Quick Facts | All-Conference Teams

HOBOKEN, N.J. (February 27, 2014) – The Stevens Institute of Technology women's basketball team will travel to Ithaca College this weekend for the Empire 8 Conference Championship on Friday and Saturday.

Stevens (17-8, 9-5) is the No. 3 seed in this weekend's tournament and squares off against second-seeded Hartwick College (21-4, 13-1) at 8 p.m. on Friday evening in Ben Light Gymnasium. The Ducks dropped both games to Hartwick this season, 65-64 and 71-50. In the one-point loss at home on January 14, Stevens lead, 64-63, with 30 seconds left in the contest until Britney Dumas hit the game-winner with two seconds remaining on the clock.

In the No. 1/4 matchup at 6 p.m. on Friday, Ithaca (21-4, 13-1) takes on St. John Fisher College (16-9, 8-6). St. John Fisher found a spot in the tournament despite playing the final week of the regular season. The Cardinals moved into the final slot of the championship after Elmira College dropped its final two games to Stevens and Hartwick.

The Ducks are led into the weekend by first-team all-conference performer, senior Avis Benjamin (Queens, N.Y.), and this year's Rookie of the Year, freshman Erica Guketlov (Spotswood, N.J.). Stevens will also receive significant contributions from seniors Molly Spadaro (Sewell, N.J.) and Lisa Tessitore (Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.) and sophomores Kaitlyn Astel (Staten Island, N.Y.), Miranda Ripken (Fallston, Md.) and Dylan Krause (Atlanta, Ga.). Freshmen Hannah Brophy (Bridgewater, N.J.), Daphne Ginn (Lawrenceville, N.J.) and Brittany Washington (Iselin, N.J.) will help the Ducks off the bench.

These 10 players all average over 3.4 points per game which accounts for 96.9-percent of the team's points this season.

Stevens has reached the Empire 8 Tournament each year since joining the conference in 2007-08 with conference titles in 08-09 and 10-11. Ithaca is the league's two-time defending champions and has won a total of five Empire 8 crowns since 03-04. Fisher's lone championship came back in 05-06, while Hartwick has never hoisted the conference trophy but has reached the finals each of the past two years.

The two winners of the semifinal games will meet on Saturday, March 1 at 4 p.m. for an automatic trip to the NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Championship.

All weekend action is available via live stats, webcast on IC.tv and radio on WICB.

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