Syosset Star Leads Dowling to Title Game

Connie Simmons playing for a championship?

That comes as no surprise to anyone in Syosset. After all, Simmons was a 1,000-point scorer at Syosset High School and led the Braves to the Nassau Class AA title as a senior in 2009.

Friday Simmons plays in the final game of her collegiate career. Friday she leads the Dowling College women's basketball team into its first NCAA Division II National Championship game.

"We worked for this all year, and we don't want to stop now," Simmons said after helping Dowling past Augustana College, 76-54, in the national semifinal Wednesday. "We want to keep working and focus on Friday's game."

Simmons, a senior co-captain, scored a game-high 24 points with 6 assists and 6 rebounds in the Final Four win.

Dowling (30-3), a private college in nearby Oakdale, has won 15 games in a row to reach the title game. The Lions face Ashland (Ohio) University at Bill Greehey Arena in San Antonio at 8 p.m. Follow the game live.

That's a big step forward from a year ago when Dowling lost in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

When asked what her grandfather, former NBA star Connie Simmons, would think of the Lions' run to the title game, the senior said: "I think he'd be proud of us; we played great defense and stayed together as a team."

The elder Simmons won two NBA championships in a 10-year career. Winning is in the DNA.

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