PHILADELPHIA – Dominican's Angelina DiMarsico drilled a step-back three with four seconds remaining in overtime to give the Chargers (18-10) a stunning 72-71 victory over the #15/9 Thomas Jefferson University women's basketball team (26-4) in the CACC semifinals on Saturday.
 
Dominican, the North Division's second seed, advances to the conference title game on Sunday, where it will take on Post, the North's top seed. Post defeated Holy Family, 60-57, in the other semifinal. The Rams, who were the tournament's number one overall seed, will wait to see their NCAA Tournament slot when the bracket is announced on Sunday night at 10:30 on NCAA.com.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Chargers got out to a 10-2 lead in the opening quarter. The teams then went back and forth for the last five-plus minutes of the frame and Dominican held a six-point advantage (18-12) going into the second. The Chargers shot 57.1% during the period while limiting Jefferson to just 31.6%.
 
The Rams began the second quarter with a 7-2 stretch to get within one (20-19). However, Dominican responded with a 13-2 run to go ahead by 12 (33-21) with 3:30 left in the half. Jefferson tallied the next eight points to close the gap to four (33-29) but the Chargers put a stop to the rally and led by seven (38-31) at the break.
 
The Rams started the third with seven of the first nine points to cut the deficit to two (40-38) with 8:00 on the clock. Dominican maintained the upper hand though and led by five (51-46) at the 1:55 mark. Then, Jefferson scored six in a row to end the quarter and take its first lead of the game, 52-51, going into the fourth.
 
The Rams opened the last period of regulation with a layup before a Chargers' three-pointer evened the score at 54. Both teams registered a layup and the score was tied again (56-56) with 5:02 to go. The squads went back and forth with deadlocks at 57, 59, and 61 before two free throws by Emily Keehfuss put Jefferson in front, 63-61, with 45 seconds to play. Dominican drew a foul and made two shots to tie the score again with 30 seconds remaining. The Rams were unable to score the winning basket on the final possession and the game went to overtime.
 
The Chargers began the extra session with a jumper but Jefferson came back with three points at the line to lead 66-65 with 2:39 on the clock. Dominican followed with a layup and two free throws to take a three-point advantage (69-66) with 1:26 left. Morgan Robinson's layup got the Rams within one (69-68). Haley Meinel came up with a steal and set up Sam Yencha for a go-ahead bucket and a 70-69 Jefferson lead with 23 seconds remaining.
 
Meinel came up with another steal and the Rams were sent to the line. Jefferson converted just one shot, however, and set the stage for DiMarsico's heroics as she drained a three-pointer from the left wing to put the Chargers up one. The Rams had one final inbounds play but the potential game-winning shot was off the mark.
 
INSIDE THE BOXSCORE
Morgan Robinson: 22 points on 8-of-15 shooting, 5 assists, 3 rebounds, 1 steal
Cassie Murphy: 17 points on 8-of-14 shooting, 12 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal
Emma Kuczynski: 9 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals
Sam Yencha: 6 points, 8 rebounds, 5 steals, 2 assists
Haley Meinel: 6 points, 5 assists, 5 steals, 4 blocks, 1 rebound
 
JEFFERSON AS A TEAM
FG: 28-of-64 (43.8%)
3PT: 1-of-5 (20.0%)
FT: 14-of-20 (70.0%)
 
NOTES
- Morgan Robinson's 22 points is a career high.
- It was the Rams' first loss at home this season, ending a 15-game win streak on their home floor.
- It is the first season without Jefferson in the CACC final since 2017.