ALBANY — There were 2,408 people at SEFCU Arena watching the University at Albany women's basketball program punch its first ticket to the NCAA Tournament.

When the Danes pulled ahead by eight points late in the game, second-year coach Katie Abrahamson-Henderson turned to the stands, raised her arms and implored everyone to get louder.

A few minutes later, with a 69-61 win over UMBC final, the entire roster, the cheerleaders and four students whose chests were painted with the letters G-O U-A spilled onto the court.

"I was a like proud mom," the woman better known as Coach Abe said. "There were a lot of tears of excitement."

The victory, of course, means UAlbany women's basketball has arrived as a bona fide Division I program, and that's great for the school.

But just as important, there was excitement for women's basketball Saturday night, and it's been a long time since you could say that around here. That's great for the sport.

To find the last time a Division I women's basketball game of such importance was played in Albany, you probably have to turn back to 2002, when Siena lost the MAAC championship game to Saint Peter's at what then was called Pepsi Arena.

But the Saints haven't had a winning season since 2003-04, which undoubtedly is why this past week the school and longtime coach Gina Castelli parted ways.

UAlbany, meanwhile, has been a Division I program since the 1999-2000 season, but before Coach Abe arrived two seasons ago, the Danes never had a winning a record at that level.

"When I got here, it was sort of all about the other schools," Coach Abe said. "I told the girls, 'The only way you're going to get people to pay attention to you is by winning games.' "

So they did — a total of 23 this season, after 16 the previous year. UAlbany is peddling a good product, one fans will like.

Ebone Henry, a junior guard with an Energizer Bunny motor, is the America East's two-time Defensive Player of the Year, though she can score, too. In the second half Saturday, she got walloped trying to drive the baseline, but as she tumbled to the court, she hit a bucket, anyway, and then made the free throw, too.

Julie Forster, another junior, started her UAlbany career as a walk-on, but she never played like one. She plugged away until she led the America East in rebounding.

Freshman Megan Craig is 6-foot-8. Need we say more?

Coach Abe cuts an imposing figure on the sideline, but even if she doesn't endear with warmth and fuzziness, she knows how to court the community.

She instituted a program called "Phenomenal Women Night." It's a sort of cocktail hour she holds every month with her team and local business leaders. Coach Abe hopes the women serve as role models for her players — who in turn do some mentoring of their own.

Sitting in the front row behind the basket Saturday was the Myers Middle School girls' basketball team and their coach, Paul Mance. His team has been to five UAlbany women's games this season.

"They've sort of adopted us," Mance said.

Before a recent game, Coach Abe welcomed the Myers team into the locker room. Each Great Danes player introduced herself and said her grade-point average aloud. There was no reason be ashamed, because all of them were 3.0 or greater.

"That was a great thing for the kids to see," Mance said.

They saw another pretty neat scene Saturday.

After the game, Coach Abe was last in line for the traditional net-cutting. She clipped the twine, then swung it through the air before finally draping it over her neck.

The Myers team trickled onto the court to celebrate along side her. Why not? This was a victory for the whole sport, our whole area, to share.

piorizzo@timesunion.com • 518-454-5425 • @peteiorizzo