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March 11, 1998
Southampton College Women Capture Their 1st ECAC Basketball Championship

Lady Colonials Defeat Adelphi 61-57; Rita Breivaite of Lithuania Named MVP

Contact: Joe Dionisio
(516) 287 8313
Fax: (516) 283 4081

Garden City, NY -- Rita Breivaite scored a career-high 26 points and won tournament MVP honors as the women's basketball team at Southampton College of Long Island University beat host Adelphi University 61-57 on March 8 to capture the 1998 East Coast Athletic Conference Division II championship.

The ECAC title is the first in the Lady Colonials' 12-year history. The team advanced to the final by defeating West Chester (Pa.) College 73-62 on March 7.

The victory helped Southampton avenge its performance in the New York Collegiate Athletic Conference playoffs on Feb. 24, when it was upset by C.W. Post, its sister campus of Long Island University.

"I am so proud we were able to bounce back and win the tournament, especially by beating Adelphi on their home court," said head coach Anthony Bozzella, whose team went 17-12 (14-6 in NYCAC), good for an 8th-place ranking in the Northeast region and Top 64 nationally. " It is a thrill for us to go out on this note... it's the best way to end a season."

Breivaite, a sophomore center who scored 22 points vs. West Chester, dominated the tourney less than one year after major knee surgery. "For Rita to come back so well from her injury and take home the MVP plaque is a great accomplishment," said Bozzella. "We're all starting to recognize what a great player she is."

Despite losing twice to the Lady Colonials in the regular season, Adelphi was top seed in the ECAC final, and Southampton third. The heated title game at Woodruff Hall was attended by many friends and family of the team-- including Bozzella's parents, wife and 1-year-old daughter, Samantha, the Lady Colonials' good luck charm. The 1997-98 squad was 7-1 with the young Bozzella in attendance.

"To win the ECACs with all my loved ones there makes it that much more special," said the head coach.

Two players had no relatives at the game, however. Rita and Evelina Breivaite, 6-3 identical twins from Lithuania, have not seen their parents in nearly two years. The sisters are hoping their family can get Visa approval to see them graduate in the year 2000.

Southampton's victory culminated the careers of four seniors:

  • Kara McGoldrick of Butler, N.J., who played five seasons (one as a red-shirt) at guard and scored 938 points, 5th-best at the school;
  • Colleen Kates of Somerdale, N.J., a guard who set a school record for consecutive games and total games (114);
  • Shannon Dries of Glen Rock, N.J., a center who played 102 games during her four-year career; and
  • Jackie Smith, a defensively-skilled forward from Freeport, N.Y.
In the last minute of the final, Kates and McGoldrick hit four straight key free throws to seal the win.

One of the star guards in the tournament was Allison Mullen, a junior from Ringwood, N.J. Mullen's quickness helped her break the Lady Colonials? single-season record for steals with 140, third-most in the nation. Tammy Walsh, a 1997 graduate, held the mark with 129. Kelley Larsen of Ringwood, N.J., a junior forward, had 10 first-half points vs. West Chester, and excelled defensively in the final.

Four other players were key members of Southampton College' championship roster:

  • Beth Hartman, a sophomore guard from Absecon, N.J.
  • Melanie McCollum, a freshman guard from Nelsonville, N.Y.
  • Heather Weaver, a sophomore center from Sterling, Va.
  • Trina Yantz, a junior guard from Marlboro, N.Y.

In a show of class and sportsmanship, Bozzella put seniors McGoldrick, Kates, Smith and Dries all on the court to enjoy the game's final seconds. Not coincidentally, Bozzella's team won last year's Ron Anderson Sportsmanship Award, given to the NYCAC school which best displays "the true essence of sports and competition by its coaches and players."

Bozzella was grateful to all his assistant coaches for their help with the 1998 championship: "I really have to credit Jeannine Metrinko, who has done so much for us for the past five years, and Kelly Nelmes, who did a great job working with the post players." Bozzella's staff also was boosted by two newcomers, Christi Lagueux of Dix Hills, N.Y., and Kimberly Tuffy of Southampton, N.Y.

The Lady Colonials, who had never reached the ECACs prior to Bozzella's 1992 arrival, won the 1998 title in their fourth consecutive ECAC appearance, and fourth straight winning season. Sunday's championship came one year to the day that Southampton won its first-ever ECAC playoff game, a semifinal victory over Sacred Heart.