WBB Minute - Stevens Needs Extra Time to Win
Stevens 78, St. John Fisher 67 (OT)
Junior Molly Spadaro (Sewell, N.J.) scored six points in the final 20 seconds of regulation to send the game to overtime and the Stevens Institute of Technology women’s basketball team dominated the extra period to earn a wild 78-67 overtime victory over St. John Fisher College on Saturday.
The first half was a taught, back-and-forth battle with the teams each scoring 24 points. Both sides also hit 10 field goals in an additional layer of parity. Fisher held the lead for the first ten minutes, but a three-pointer from Spadaro gave the Ducks their first lead of the game.
Clair Walsh (Binghampton, N.Y.) and
Sydney Bloomstein (Millbury, Mass.) formed a potent one-two punch for the visitors and combined for 13 of the Cardinals’ first-half points. Spadaro led Stevens’ balanced scoresheet with seven at the break, but six players had points for the Ducks in the first half.
The second period began much as the first had, with the Cardinals in front and the Ducks trailing but staying within striking distance. Though they committed 29 turnovers in the game, the Women of Hoboken shot a remarkable 54 percent from the field to make the most of every possession.
Stevens freshman Miranda Ripken (Fallston, Md.) also had the most productive day of her young career on Satruday; she scored 22 points and added three assists in 43 minutes for the Ducks.
With the second half clock down to single digits and the Ducks trailing by three, Spadaro shook down her defender and pulled up for another clutch three-pointer that caused the crowd to erupt into its loudest crescendo of the afternoon. That bucket tied it up and forced overtime.
Then, on the first possession of extra time, Spadaro hit a transition layup for the early lead. In fact, the Ducks opened the overtime on a 12-0 run that was part of a larger 18-0 run that began with 20 seconds remaining in regulation.
Maggie Kowalska (Edison, N.J.) pulled down a game-high 13 rebounds and a game-high three blocks…Stevens shot 60 percent from the floor in the second half…The Ducks out-rebounded the Cardinals 51-30.
Hartwick 68, Alfred 42
Hartwick women's basketball won for the fourth straight time in 2013 on Saturday with a convincing 68-42 Empire 8 Conference win over Alfred University in a game played at Lambros Arena.
'Wick used a smothering defense in the first half as it forced 15 AU turnovers which it turned into 16 points. The Saxons accumulated more turnovers than points (13) in the opening frame as the Hawks allowed them to convert just four field goals.
Freshman forward
Brittney Dumas (Easton, CT/Joel Barlow HS) led a balanced Hartwick offensive attack with 22 points. For the weekend, she converted 18 of her 22 field-goal attempts for an astounding 82% from the floor.
Junior guard
Kate Purcell (Buffalo, NY/Mt. Mercy Academy) was the only other Hawk in double figures with 11 points. She also tied with Dumas for a game-high six rebounds and she added game-bests of six assists and three steals.
The Hawks would end the game shooting 49% (28-for-57) and they shared the basketball all day with 20 assists on their 28 baskets. 'Wick outscored its opponent 40-14 in the paint and held a 37-26 edge on the glass.
Alfred closed the day shooting 35.9% (14-for-39) as a group. Rachael Stedman led the Saxons with eight points. Harley Cleary chipped in with seven points and Hailey Sick added six.
Houghton 55, Elmira 54
The Houghton College women’s basketball team held on to beat the Elmira Soaring Eagles and improved their record to 8-5 on Saturday afternoon at the Nielsen Physical Education Center at Houghton College.
The Highlanders used hot shooting to stay ahead of the Soaring Eagles during the first half. Houghton shot 11-22 (50%) from the field, and hit four of nine three point attempts (44.4%), compared to Elmira’s 8-22 from the field (36.4%) and two for five three point attempts (40%). The Highlanders went into the half leading by five after outscoring Elmira 11 to 7 during the last four minutes of the half.
The Highlanders led by as much as eleven points during the second half but the Soaring Eagles quickly chipped away at several Houghton leads, and were within one point (48-47) of the Highlanders with 3 minutes left to play. After junior forward
Kaitlin Hammersley(Weedsport, NY, Weedsport CS) knocked down two free throws to put the Highlanders up 53-47 with 30 seconds left to play, the Soaring Eagles responded with a three pointer from Kelsey Geisler. On the ensuing inbound play the Highlanders proceeded to turn the ball over. Elmira capitalized with a layup from Jessica Zoltowski to pull within one of the Highlanders with just 15 seconds left to play. After drawing a foul, junior forward
Kristen Moose (Swain, NY, Canaseraga CS) hit both of her free throws to extend the Highlanders’ lead to three points (55-52). With 12 seconds remaining and a chance to tie the game, Kelsey Geisler missed a three point attempt with three seconds left. Maria Thannhauser gathered the rebound and laid it in for two points with time expiring, but it did not matter as the Highlanders won 55-54.
Kristen Moose led all Houghton scorers with 22 points and 15 rebounds. Kaitlin Hammersley added 13 points as well as nine rebounds and four assists.
Maisie Pipher(Lowman, NY, Twin Tiers Christian) chipped in with three points and had nine rebounds.
Utica 63, Nazareth 60
Senior
Meghan Fiore (Epping, NH/Epping) and sophomore
Samantha Stayer (Allegany, NY/Allegany-Limestone) combined for the Pioneers final 13 points as the Utica College women's basketball rallied to defeated host Nazareth College 63-60 in Empire 8 Conference action Saturday afternoon at Kidera Gymnasium. Fiore finished the day with a game-high 27 points and seven rebounds, while Stayer closed out the afternoon with 11 points. The Pioneers improved to 8-8 overall and 4-2 in conference play.
Utica rallied from a six point deficit, 49-43, with 7:55 remaining in the contest to earn the conference victory.
Alyssa Filkins (Castleton, NY/Maple Hill) netted nine points, while
Marissa Kahane (Sayville, NY/Sayville) and
Mary Miceli (New Rochelle, NY/New Rochelle) combined for ten points as the Pioneers earned their fourth conference win of the year. Filkins also added seven assists.
Bridget Greenwald (Wayne, NJ/Wayne Hills) grabbed a team-best nine rebounds and added three steals for UC. Miceli netted a key second half 3-pointer to help spark the Pioneer comeback.
UC jumped out to 14 point lead in the first half, 25-11, at the 8:12 mark behind six straight points from Filkins. Naz answered with an 11-1 run to cut UC's lead to just five points, 26-21, with 5:12 left in the first half of play. The Pioneers pushed their lead back to eight points, 29-21, but the home team responded by outscoring UC 7-1 in the final 2:36 of the first half to set the score at 30-28, advantage Utica, at the half.
The lead changed hands five times in the first ten minutes of the second half before Naz used an 8-1 run in less than three minutes to give the home team a six point lead, 49-43, with 7:55 left in regulation. Utica rallied and earned the lead back, 59-58, when Fiore connected on a lay-up with 1:35 remaining in the game. Naz got the lead right back when Kelly converted a lay-up at the 1:10 ledger. Fiore then scored with 42 seconds left and the Golden Flyers missed a 3-pointer on the ensuing trip down the floor. UC came away with the rebound to secure possession with 19 seconds left. Fiore then made both of her free throws after being fouled with 15 seconds left to seal the victory for the Pioneers. Naz's Erica Shaw missed a desperation 3-pointer on the other end as time expired with the Pioneers on top by three points.
Lindsey Kelly netted 21 points and grabbed a game-high 16 rebounds for the Golden Flyers. Naz outscored UC 24-18 in the paint and the Golden Flyers also netted 18 second chance points compared to UC's nine. Naz moved to 4-10 overall and 1-3 in the Empire 8. Hannah Runyon added 13 points on 3-of-7 from 3-point land for the Golden Flyers.