Women's Basketball Set to Host America East Championship Game

Shereesha Richards scored 33 points to lead the Great Danes.

The No. 1-seed UAlbany women’s basketball team took down America East Tournament host Binghamton 79-43, led by 33 points from Shereesha Richards, to return to the conference title game for the fifth season in a row. With the victory, UAlbany (26-4) will host No. 2 Maine for the America East title game on Friday, March 11th at 4:30 p.m. at SEFCU Arena.

The game will be televised on ESPNU. Tickets now on sale for the game.

UAlbany is looking to be the first ever America East basketball team to earn five consecutive league tournament titles. UAlbany’s victories in the America East Tournament this year were by the biggest scoring margins in program history with a 52-point win over Vermont Saturday and a 36-point victory over Binghamton Sunday.

With the victory, UAlbany advanced to its fifth consecutive America East Championship game.

Richards went 14-for-23 from the field and nearly had a double-double on 33 points, nine rebounds and three steals. She set a new UAlbany women’s basketball single season scoring record, standing with 704 career points. She broke her own record of 694 set last year.

On Friday, Shereesha Richards became just the second player to earn America East Player of the Year three times, while Tiana-Jo Carter earned Sixth Player of the Year to highlight the annual conference yearly awards.

Including the two major award winners, five Great Danes were honored in the America East yearly awards, including three all-conference players, two all-defensive team members and an all-academic team selection.

Richards joins Chantell Alford of Boston University as the only three-time America East Player of the Year honorees; Richards is the only to earn Player of the Year three times outright, with Alford earn co-player honors in 2012-13. As a program, UAlbany has had a Player of the Year the last four years, with Ebone Henry sharing the award with Alford in the 2012-13 season.

Richards has now earned five America East major awards, including Co-Rookie of the Year in 2012-13 and Co-Defensive Player of the Year in 2014-15. Carter is honored as Sixth Player of the Year for UAlbany, making it the second time a Great Dane has earned this award in as many years, with Imani Tate being chosen last season.

Richards and Tate each were selected to the America East All-Conference First Team and the All-Defensive Team. Zakiya Saunders was placed on the America East All-Conference Second Team while Cassandra Edwards was selected to the league’s All-Academic Team.

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