REGIS DRAWS MONTCLAIR STATE IN NCAA FIRST ROUND

WESTON, Mass. – The Regis College women's basketball team will play #5 Montclair State University in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday, March 1, on the campus of Lebanon Valley College in Annville, Pa. at 6:00 p.m.

The Pride (23-4) earned an automatic bid into the tournament after winning its first New England Collegiate Conference Championship this past weekend. #5 Montclair State (27-0) received an automatic bid as well, winning the New Jersey Athletic Conference Championship on Saturday. The matchup features a pair of Coach of the Year winners, as Julie Plant was awarded the NECC Coach of the Year, and Montclair State's Karin Harvey was honored as the NJAC's top coach.

Regis enters the tournament riding an 18-game winning-streak. NECC Tournament MVP and All-NECC First Team selection Sabree Rodriguez (Brockton, Mass.) leads the Pride at 13.0 points per game and is third on the team in rebounding at 6.1 rebounds per game. All-Tournament and All-NECC First Team member Emilee Marro (Bedford, N.H.) is second on the team in scoring at 12.8 points per game and leads Regis in rebounding (6.7 rpg), assists (3.7 apg), and is second in steals (2.0 spg).

All-NECC Second Team selection Claire Ramonas (Portland, Maine) also averages double-digits in points per game at 10.5, while also adding 5.8 rebounds per game, leading the team in steals (2.2 spg), and is shooting a team-best 54.7% from the field on the year.

Montclair State swept all of the major awards in the NJAC as Melissa Tobie (Elizabeth, N.J.) was named the NJAC Player of the Year, Shalette Brown (Somerset, N.J.) was named the Rookie of the Year, and Nicosia Henry (Bolingbrook, Ill.) was named the NJAC Defensive Player of the Year.

Tobie leads the Red Hawks at 14.6 points per game, while adding 6.0 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 3.1 steals, and 1.3 blocks in 2013. Shalette Brown is third on the squad in scoring at 10.0 points per game, second in rebounding (6.8 rpg), and second in steals (3.8 spg). Nicosia Henry led MSU with 186 rebounds on the year, good for a 6.9 rebound per game average. She also posted 107 steals in 2013, averaging 3.96 swipes per game.

Regis and Montclair State met for the first time last year as a part of the Eastern Connecticut State Tip-Off Tournament on November 19, 2011. The Red Hawks took home a 73-66 win over the Pride as Melissa Tobie posted 25 points and eight rebounds to lead Montclair State. Claire Ramonas just missed a double-double with 17 points and nine rebounds in the setback.

Lebanon Valley is providing both live stats and video for the game at the NCAA Tournament First Round this weekend. Live stats can be found by clicking here, video can be accessed by clicking here.