CHAMPIONSHIP CENTRAL | HIGHLIGHTS | PHOTOS | AWARDS
ROCKFORD, Ill. – No.2 Hostos (NY) defeated No.1 Rock Valley (IL) 58-52 to win the 2017-18 NJCAA Division III Women's Basketball Championship. With the win, the Caimans claimed the first women's national championship in program history and second title overall – the men's basketball team won the program's first championship in 2005.
MVP of the tournament Kayla Wilson led the charge for the Caimans over the defending champions after scoring 22 points while grabbing 13 rebounds. With the performance, Wilson ended the 2017-18 season with 20 straight double-doubles. In the three-day tournament, the freshman averaged 27.3 points and 17.0 rebounds.
Rock Valley jumped out to an early advantage at the end of the first quarter with a 21-13 lead. In the second frame, Hostos bounced back and outscored the Golden Eagles 18-8 to go into intermission with a 31-29 edge. Both squads continued to trade blows with Rock Valley outdueling the Caimans in the third quarter to carry a 44-43 lead into the final period.
In the final stanza, Hostos regained its composure and outscored Rock Valley 15-8 on the Golden Eagles' home floor to win its first NJCAA DIII Women's Basketball Championship.
- Rock Valley edged Hostos from the field after shooting 36.5 percent to 35.8 percent, but the Caimans tallied 19 made free throws compared to the eight made from Rock Valley.
- The Caimans outrebounded the Golden Eagles 41-33, a total that included a 13-6 edge on the offensive glass.
- The Caimans finished its championship season 28-2 after winning 23 straight while Rock Valley finished its campaign at 22-13.
- No. 3 UCONN-Avery Point defeated No. 5 Northland (MN) 90-84 to finish third in the tournament. Tatyana LaFrance-Boyce notched a double-double for the Pointers with 26 points and 10 rebounds and was two steals shy from a triple-double.
- The third-seeded Montgomery (MD) Raptors finished its season on a high note after defeating No. 7 Onondaga 74-54 in the fifth place final. Armonje Lomax guided the Raptors with 24 points and five rebounds.
- To round out the tournament, No. 8 Rowan Gloucester (NJ) topped No. 6 Rochester (MN) 81-79 in the seventh place game. The Roadrunners were powered by Alyvia Essex and Tierah Bush who both topped 20 points with Essex netting 26 and Bush notching 23.
#2 Hostos completes the upset and wins the NJCAA DIII Women's Basketball National Championship!! #NJCAAHoops pic.twitter.com/kC7ffWjtTM
— NJCAA TV (@NJCAATV) March 18, 2018
