Westminster, MD-----Holding off a late surge, the #2 seeded Brooklyn College women's basketball team defeated #3 Keene State, 65-61, in the semifinals of the ECAC Championship Tournament on Saturday.  BC improves to 24-4 overall with the postseason victory while the Owls close out their season with a 19-10.  Next Up: With the victory, Brooklyn will advance to the tournament championship against top-seed and host McDaniel College on Sunday, March 15, at 1pm.  

Brooklyn opened the game on a hot shooting stretch, hitting nine field goals in the first quarter to take a 22-13 lead after the first period. Aaliyah McCalla led the early charge with eight first-quarter points, including a pair of three-pointers.

Keene State responded in the second quarter, outscoring Brooklyn 14-9 to trim the deficit to 31-27 by halftime. Brynn Rautiola paced the Owls during the stretch as the game tightened heading into the second half.

The Bulldogs maintained control in the third quarter, taking a 45-38 advantage into the final period behind strong interior play from Anna Kitch and timely scoring from Dior Dorsey.

Keene State mounted a late comeback in the fourth quarter, briefly tying the game at 57-57 with just over two minutes remaining. Brooklyn answered quickly, as Dorsey converted a layup with 57 seconds left to put the Bulldogs back in front for good.

Kitch later sealed the victory at the free-throw line in the final seconds as Brooklyn held off the Owls to secure the 65-61 win.

Kitch led Brooklyn with 17 points and a game-high 15 rebounds for a dominant double-double performance. Dorsey added 12 points and eight rebounds, while McCalla also scored 12 points. Brianna Jackson contributed 10 points and a game-high eight assists.  She also came up with four steals.  

For Keene State (19-10), Rautiola led all scorers with 19 points, while Avery Stewart and Charlotte Buckley each added 10.

Brooklyn shot 40 percent from the field and controlled the glass with a 48-31 rebounding advantage, including 17 offensive rebounds that led to key second-chance opportunities.