The Mastodons (24-7) scored the last five points of the second quarter for a 33-29 lead and went on an 8-2 run to start the third quarter for a 10-point lead.
But after falling behind by 15, the Raiders cut the gap to eight and fought to the finish before falling, 64-50, on Thursday.
“We dictated the majority of that game. It looked like they were uncomfortable offensively. To hold them to 64 points (11 below their league-high average) was a testament to the choice these guys made a couple games ago to defend,” the fourth-year coach said.
“It was impressive to watch. They were shooting shots we wanted them to shoot, and that gave us a good shot to play with them. It felt like we were right there.”
Staton had 11 points and 15 rebounds — giving her a whopping 42 boards in a two-game span — and notched her 10th straight double-double.
The third-team all-league pick has exhausted her eligibility, but she left her mark in one season as a Raider.
The 6-foot-1 Lorain, Ohio, product set the program and league tourney rebound record by snagging 27 in the first-round win over Youngstown State on Tuesday. That also tied the overall league record.
She was honored at halftime of the men’s game later that night and received a standing ovation. She waved and smiled and then raised her hands over her head and put them together in the shape of a heart.
“I’ve never seen quite the consistent dominant performance to finish a career like Amaya’s had. To put her heart and soul on the floor for her teammates, for this program, for us — she should be extremely proud of the way she finished her career. I’m really glad it was with us,” Hoffman said.
The fifth-year transfer from Merrimack needed to average at least 9.8 rebounds to crack the program’s all-time top-10 and fell just short with a 9.6 average. But she made the list in total rebounds, finishing with 306 for the sixth-highest tally.
She also led the league with 56 blocks. That’s the fourth-best total in program history.
The eighth-seeded Raiders were 8-8 in their last 16 games. They were ninth in the league in rebound margin but finished with a 35-33 edge.
“It was an impressive show of resilience from our squad to stay with us all season and finish it the way we did. We’ve got a good corps returning. I think they’ve only grown in their chemistry and ability to play with one another and doing what we’re asking,” Hoffman said.
“The future’s bright. It’s at a time when a lot of other teams in our league are losing a lot of players. Hopefully, we can keep this corps together and keep moving forward.”
In other quarterfinal games, top-seeded Green Bay beat No. 10 Oakland, 84-55; third-seeded Cleveland State beat No. 6 Detroit Mercy, 92-61; and No. 4 Robert Morris handled No. 5 Northern Kentucky, 70-57.
About the Author