Syracuse, N.Y. – The #1 Southwest Division seed Le Moyne College Dolphins will meet the #2 Northeast Division seed Bentley University Falcons in the Semifinals of the Northeast-10 Conference Women's Basketball Championships on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. EST.

The two teams will battle on the campus of Le Moyne College, within the Thomas J. Niland Athletic Complex, inside the Events Center, on Ted Grant Court.

The Dolphins advanced to the semis after taking down Northeast-10 Conference Play of the Year Peyton Steinman and the #4 seed (NE) Saint Anselm Hawks on Ted Grant Court Monday night by a score of 64-60.

During the win, redshirt-junior guard Saeeda Abdul-Aziz (Schenectady, N.Y./Mohonasen/Davidson) poured in 25 points, including six made three-point field goals on over 50% shooting from beyond the arc.

Senior forward Emma Brinker (East Aurora, N.Y./East Aurora) provided the 'Phins with 11 points, five rebounds and an assist.

Junior guard Lytoya Baker (Rochester, N.Y./Bishop Kearney) contributed eight points, eight rebounds, and made some extremely important and timely plays down the stretch of the fourth quarter.

Senior forward Jenna Zimmerman (Adams, N.Y./South Jefferson) played 34 minutes for Le Moyne during the quarterfinal victory, during which she grabbed five rebounds, distributed two assists, and played great defense as usual while committing zero fouls and zero turnovers.

Lexi Gruss (Binghamton, N.Y./Binghamton) played 22 minutes off the bench for the 'Phins, and Coach Grimes was complimentary of her defensive focus and energy after the game. Gruss scored four points, grabbed two rebounds, provided two assists, and ripped three steals.

Erin Fouracre (Loudonville, N.Y./Colonie Central) tallied a game-high four steals, three rebounds, three assists, and 11 points, including a clutch drive and layup in the final thirty seconds of the game to extend Le Moyne's lead from two points to four points.

The 'Phins defense was laser focused during the final Saint Anselm possession of the game, flying all over the court and perfectly contesting the final shot, causing a miss and grabbing the defensive board to put the game on ice.

The Falcons won their first-round game of the conference tournament over New Haven by a score of 75-48. They were tied with Franklin Pierce at halftime of their quarterfinal game, but outscored the Ravens by 11 points in the second half to survive and advance. During their win over Franklin Pierce, graduate forward Autumn Ceppi scored 11 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. Senior guard Kari Brekke contributed 12 points and seven rebounds, and sophomore guard Maggie Whitmore registered season-highs in scoring and rebounds with 16 points and 12 boards.

Ceppi was a Northeast-10 All-Conference First Team selection after averaging 14.1 points, 7.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.8 steals and 0.8 blocks per game this season. Brekke was a Third Team selection, and Junior guard Ella Thompson (12.4 points on over 46% shooting from three-point land) was a Second Team All-Conference honoree. Whitmore and first year guard Amanda Kabantu made the All-Rookie team during their first season competing as Falcons.

Brinker accomplished Second Team All-Conference accolades for her play this season, and Fouracre was named to the Northeast-10 All-Conference Third Team.

The two sides met once during the 2021-22 regular season, on January 22 at Bentley. Le Moyne claimed a 53-50 conference road victory, during which Brinker led Le Moyne in scoring with 13 points to go along with three blocks, 10 rebounds, and an assist. Baker tallied 12 points, five rebounds, two steals, one block and one assist, and Abdul-Aziz was the third Dolphin to score in double figures with 10 points, including 2-3 shooting from beyond the arc. Fouracre contributed nine points, six rebounds, two assists, and two steals during the win.

The two women's basketball programs last met in the Northeast-10 Conference Championships during the 2019-20 tournament quarterfinals. Le Moyne came away with a 54-51 win following a McKayla Roberts three-point field goal with under 10 seconds remaining.

The two sides met in the 2019 Northeast-10 Conference Championship Game, when Le Moyne claimed the conference title with a 67-45 victory. Zimmerman was in the starting lineup for the 'Phins as a first-year player during that 2019 championship matchup and contributed eight points, including two made three-pointers, and five rebounds during 37 minutes played. Fouracre and Brinker, also freshmen at the time, played important minutes of the bench for the 'Phins during the championship-winning effort.