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Hackensack, NJ -- Fresh off completing another historic regular season, FDU women's basketball put a bow on its perfect season against NEC foes with its second straight conference tournament title.

Becoming just the second team in league history to complete back-to-back perfect NEC regular seasons, the top-seeded Knights became the first to finish both unbeaten campaigns with a tournament championship after rolling to a 79-57 victory over third-seeded LIU. It marked the program's fourth NEC crown.

The Sharks and Knights battled closely in the first quarter as LIU (21-11) jumped out to an early 8-2 lead before FDU (30-4) stormed back with 16 straight points to take a lead it would not relinquish.

The defending NEC champions built a 16-point halftime lead by outscoring LIU, 26-14, in the second quarter. FDU shot 62.5 percent from the field and went 5-8 from three during the second frame, with both Kailee McDonald and Ava Renninger draining two triples apiece.

NEC Player of the Year Kadidia Toure tallied 18 of LIU's 22 first half points as the Sharks faced a 38-22 deficit

The second half was all Knights as they built their lead to 19 by the end of third quarter. Coming off the bench, freshman Akeelah Lafleur rattled off 12 straight points to start the fourth quarter to build the FDU advantage to 25 with four minutes left in the game. Lafleur finished the game with a team-high 15 points

The Knights placed six players in double-digits and enjoyed a 41-5 advantage in bench points.

Renninger, a two-time All-NEC honoree, was named NEC Tournament MVP after finishing with 13 points, 10 rebounds, six assists and two steals. All-Rookie selection Leah Crosby also posted a double-double with 10 points and 14 boards and was tabbed to the All-Tournament team.

For the Sharks, Toure netted 28 points on 10-20 shooting and grabbed nine boards. She was named to the All-Tournament team along with teammate Hannah Humphrey. LIU finished the season with a 21-11 record, which is its highest win total since 2011-12.

The Knights will be making their second-ever NCAA Tournament appearance as the NEC’s automatic qualifier to the Big Dance. FDU sits with 30 overall wins, which is the tied for the highest single season win total in conference history. FDU has won an NEC record 37 straight conference regular season games and 40 straight when including NEC Tournament wins.

FDU will find out who it will face in the national tournament tonight on the women’s selection show at 8:00 p.m. ET on ESPN.

NEC All-Tournament Team
Ava Renninger, FDU (MVP)
Leah Crosby, FDU
Kadidia Toure, LIU
Hannah Humphrey, LIU
Jenna Van Schaik, Mercyhurst