BROOKLYN, N.Y. - The Sarah Lawrence women's basketball team clinched a postseason berth for the first time in program history on Saturday, taking down the St. Joesph's Brooklyn Bears 78-70 to secure the sixth seed in next week's Skyline Conference Tournament. The Gryphons and Bears entered the final frame tied before the visitors pulled away for the historic victory.

Notable Performers

• Senior Colleen Coughlin led the team with 23 points, knocking down six three-pointers
• Gabby Hudson added 19 points, five rebounds and five assists
• First Year Sarah Theriault added 14 points along with a game-high 19 rebounds
• Jade Ling Eng-Stewart posted a double-double as well, with 13 points and 14 rebounds

How it Happened

The Gryphons got going early thanks to Hudson and Eng-Stewart. The pair combined for the team's first nine points before Coughlin's first triple of the day put the team up 12-6 midway through the first period. The Bears answered with scores, but baskets by Hudson, Theriault and Coughlin kept the Gryphons ahead by eight points entering the last minute of the quarter. The Bears did not go quietly, scoring the last five points of the frame, including a triple with 15 seconds remaining, to enter the second quarter trailing by just one possession. Another triple to open the second tied the contest and erased the early SLC lead. The Bears wasted no time connecting from deep again, doing so under a minute later to take the lead. Theriault answered to stop the run before a pair of Coughlin three-pointers kept the two teams close. The hosts continued to strike from distance, but Hudson and Theriault both converted from inside the arc and from the free-throw line to keep the Gryphons in the game. Coughlin connected on another triple and four points from Eng-Stewart late in the quarter put SLC up one with 50 seconds until the intermission. The Bears once again surged in the final seconds, scoring the last three points to carry a two-point advantage into the break.

Senior Kaila Dorch got the Gryphons on the board to start the second half, scoring to tie the game on the team's first possession. The Bears responded and held a slight advantage throughout the following minutes, but the Gryphons remained in striking distance, ready to make their move for the lead. It would be a Jersana Moore steal that did the trick, as the first year swiped the ball from the hosts and scored in transition to put the Gryphons up one momentarily. An SJBK answer nullified the lead, but the Gryphons kept battling and Moore scored in transition for a second time just a minute later. The Bears went back in front with a one-possession lead, but back-to-back scores by Hudson returned the advantage to SLC in a tru back-and-forth affair. SJBK standout Mercedes Perez connected from long range with two minutes to play in the quarter, putting her team up by three, but a second-chance score by Theriault and another Coughlin triple tied the contest and sent the game to the fourth quarter at a stalemate. The Gryphons once again got a quarter-opening contribution from Dorch, this time as the senior connected from the field before converting on a free throw attempt a possession later to put the team up 62-59. The Bears answered with back-to-back scores to claim the lead, but the Gryphons continued to respond, with Eng-Stewart, Hudson and Theriault all converting as the team led 68-67 with six minutes to play. A one-for-two trip to the line for the Bears tied the contest up once again before Coughlin stepped into another long-range shot, knocking it down to put her team in the driver's seat. A pair of SJBK free throws cut the lead to one, but Hudson converted from the field and Theriault went two-for-two from the line as the Gryphons held a 75-70 lead with under 40 seconds remaining. The Bears got multiple looks from distance in the final minute, unable to connect on any, as Coughlin fittingly closed out the game with a pair of free throws. Perry Yun and Ariana Spanopoulos joined Hudson, Dorch and Coughlin on the floor, and the class of 2026 sent the team to the postseason in their final season with the Gryphons.

Up Next

The Gryphons (14-11, Skyline 10-9) will head to Newburgh, New York next week as they face off against Mount Saint Mary College in the first round of the Skyline Conference Championships. Stay tuned to @slcgryphons on socials as well as GoGryphons.com for more content and information leading up to the first-round matchup.