Women’s Basketball Set to Play SUNY New Paltz in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday

NCAA Division III Tournament – First Round
Women's Basketball vs SUNY New Paltz
Friday, March 6 | 5:30 pm
DeCarlo Varsity Center | University Heights, OH

TOURNAMENT INFORMATION PAGE

GAME LINKS: LIVE VIDEO | LIVE STATS

THE STORYLINE

The Immaculata women's basketball team (24-3, 14-0 AEC) will be making its third overall appearance in the NCAA Tournament, and its second consecutive appearance. This will be the Mighty Macs' third tournament appearance in five years.
Immaculata enters Friday's game after capturing its second consecutive Atlantic East Conference Championship on Saturday, defeating Marywood 74-49 in the AEC Championship game at Alumnae Hall.
No. 21 SUNY New Paltz (25-2, 17-1 SUNYAC) enters the NCAA Tournament as champions of the SUNYAC, after defeating Cortland 56-52 in the SUNYAC Championship Game at the Hawk Center.

THE SERIES HISTORY

Immaculata and SUNY New Paltz are meeting for the first time in women's basketball.

IMMACULATA NCAA HISTORY

The Immaculata women's basketball team is making the program's third appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
Immaculata made their first appearance in the NCAA tournament in 2022 when the Mighty Macs traveled to Angola, Indiana, to play Trine University. Immaculata fell to Trine 62-37.
Immaculata last appeared in the NCAA Tournament in 2025 when the Mighty Macs traveled to Delaware, Ohio, to play Ohio Wesleyan University. Immaculata fell to Ohio Wesleyan 87-42.
Immaculata's Riley Cassidy, Carly Coleman, Olivia Ettorre, Katie McGuigan, Cassidy Perri, Julia Pohl, Meg Robbins, and Emma Wagner will be making their second appearances in the NCAA Tournament.
Immaculata, which joined the NCAA in 1982, is best known for its time in the Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) when it won the first three women's basketball national championships in 1972, 1973, and 1974, when Naismith Hall of Fame Coach Cathy Rush coached them. The Mighty Macs were national runners-up in 1975 and 1976 and lost in the National Semifinals in 1977.

SUNY NEW PALTZ NCAA HISTORY

SUNY New Paltz is making its ninth appearance in the NCAA Tournament, and it's first since 2023-24.
In 2023-24, SUNY New Paltz defeated Penn State Harrisburg 70-52 in the First Round, on their home court, to advance to the second round. The Hawks fell to Baldwin Wallace 65-42 in the second round.
In 2022-23, the Hawks defeated Gettysburg 63-47 in the first round, before falling to host Babson College in the second round 76-66.

MIGHTY MAC NOTES

Carly Coleman was named the Atlantic East Conference Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year for the 2025–26 season. She also earned All-Atlantic East First Team honors. Coleman leads Immaculata averaging 17.2 PPG and 10.2 RPG, while adding 120 assists, 32 blocks, and 76 steals. She recorded 18 double-doubles and two triple-doubles this season. In the AEC Championship win over Marywood, Coleman led all scorers with 20 points, adding 13 rebounds, four assists, and three steals, earning AEC Tournament MVP honors. She was named AEC Player of the Week three times and Defensive Player of the Week six times.
Abby Grillo was named the Atlantic East Conference Rookie of the Year and earned All-Atlantic East Second Team honors. Grillo averaged 12.9 PPG and 5.6 RPG, while recording 63 assists, 20 blocks, and 48 steals. She shot 42.9% from the field and 34.5% from three-point range. Grillo scored a season-high 26 points in her collegiate debut vs. Moravian, earning AEC Player of the Week honors, and added 12 points, nine rebounds, four assists, and two blocks in the championship win over Marywood.
Olivia Ettorre was named to the All-Atlantic East Second Team. Ettorre is averaging 12.6 PPG and 3.9 RPG, with 56 assists, 20 blocks, and 42 steals. She is shooting 40.6% from the field and 37.9% from beyond the arc, hitting 55 three-pointers this season. Ettorre has scored in double figures in 17 of 27 games, including 15 points, four rebounds, three blocks, and two steals in the championship win over Marywood.
Riley Cassidy appeared in all 27 games, making 26 starts. She is averaging 8.3 PPG and 3.5 RPG, with 37 assists and 17 steals. Cassidy scored a career-high 27 points in the AEC win over Neumann on January 31, hitting three consecutive three-pointers late to secure the victory. She scored 25 combined points and shot 6-for-13 (46.1%) from three-point range in Immaculata's two AEC Tournament wins. Cassidy was also named the Atlantic East Conference Elite Scholar Award winner for the highest cumulative GPA at the finals site.
Meg Robbins started all 27 games for the Mighty Macs this season. Robbins averages 6.9 PPG and 5.5 RPG, adding 48 assists and 29 blocks. She scored a career-high 17 points in the win at Gwynedd Mercy on February 7. Robbins added seven points, eight rebounds, and two blocks in the championship win over Marywood.
Sabrina Little provided a spark off the bench, appearing in all 27 games. She averaged 6.2 PPG and 2.1 RPG, while contributing 48 assists and 39 steals. Little scored a season-high 18 points in the win over Gwynedd Mercy on January 10 and added seven points, three assists, and four steals in the AEC Championship victory.
Immaculata will also look for contributions off the bench from Keira Benoit, Sofia Kouridakis, and Julia Pohl.

SCOUTING SUNY NEW PALTZ

The Hawks enter Friday's game on a 17-game winning streak, with their last loss coming on November 22, against #1 New York University.
Graduate guard Brianna Fitzgerald (5'10") leads SUNY New Paltz, averaging 17.5 PPG and 8.6 RPG, with 99 assists, 36 blocks, and 91 steals.
Senior guard Karly Wittenbauer (5'9") is averaging 12.4 PPG and 5.8 RPG, with 60 assists, 19 blocks, and 61 steals.
Junior guard Hannah Vanderzee (5'9") is averaging 10 PPG and 5.0 RPG, with 74 assists, 25 blocks, and 52 steals.
SUNY New Paltz is scoring 63.9 PPG and is allowing 51.6 PPG.
The Hawks are shooting 39% from the field, 26.8% from three-point range, and 73.6% from the free-throw line.

OTHER FIRST ROUND MATCHUP

The College of New Jersey is playing host No. 11 John Carroll University in the other first-round matchup on Friday at 8 p.m.
No. 11 John Carroll (24-4, 11-3 NCAC) earned an at-large selection after falling to DePauw in the NCAC Championship 64-59 last Saturday.
The College of New Jersey (17-10, 14-4 NJAC) won the NJAC Championship, defeating William Patterson 78-55 at home on Sunday.

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