Posted: Feb 08, 2015
Change atop the ECC…
- Mercy restricted Queens to 22% shooting and dealt the Knights a 63-49 defeat in Dobbs Ferry to knock them off the top of the league standings. The Mavericks, who snapped an eleven-game slide, took the lead for good with an 11-0 first half run (18-11, 7:27) and also enjoyed two 7-0 further spells on the path to a 33-22 halftime lead. Their advantage crested at 17 points in the final frame and never dropped below six points as they earned the rare ‘last-beats-first’ upset. Tatiana Parish (16 points) led the Mavericks in scoring off the bench but starters Tanayzha Augustine (12 points, 10 boards), Casey Sullivan (12 points, 4-6 3FG), Brandone Roberts (11 boards) and Erin Copeland (10 assists) also did the job for Mercy. Imani Davidson (11 points, 11 boards) and MacKenzie Rowland (10 points, 14 rebounds) collected double-doubles for QC but they shot only 18% in the first half (6-34 FG) and dug a hole they never found a way out of. Mercy (which shot 34% FG) was also the better three-point shooting team (7-16; Queens 2-19 3FG) in the victory.
- The University of the District of Columbia took over 1st place in the ECC with a resounding 86-62 win at Daemen on Friday night, the Firebirds seventh success in a row. The guests never trailed and took the lead for good with a 10-0 first half run (17-7, 13:33). They led by as much as 16 points in the first half and got to the half comfortably ahead, 39-29. UDC slowly pulled away from the Wildcats in the second period to confirm the result. Shakena Williams (20 points, 6-9 3FG), Denikka Brent (18 points, 6 boards, 5 assists) and Taj Baldwin-Kollore (13 points, 7 boards) led the UDC troops as they feasted in turnover (23-10; a 23-8 edge in points-off-miscues) and went 10-22 from three-point land. Natalie Galus (17 points, 8 rebounds) and Sarah Saba (17 points) led the Daemen scoring but could not prevent the team’s fifth straight loss. Daemen did have a bright spot in the Raeann Stilwell, who notched her 1,000th career point in front of the home fans.
CACC sees upsets, milestones…
- Reighley Melochick (career-high tying 20 points) scored the last nine points for her team to catapult Goldey-Beacom to a 66-60 win at Bloomfield in a tight contest, securing a playoff berth in the process. The Lightning freshman snapped a tie with a three-pointer at the 1:21 mark (60-57) and sank 6-6 at the line thereafter to hold off the host Bears and pull GBC within a half-game of 3rd place in the CACC South. Bloomfield, now in a virtual tie atop the CACC North with Caldwell, led by a point at the break (26-25) and held a 45-41 lead with 10:54 left after a Morgan Taylor (14 points, 10 rebounds) basket but watched GBC rip off a 10-2 run, capped by a Lillian Chukwueze trey (19 points, 6 boards) to grab a 51-47 edge (6:16) and set up a close finish that starred Melochick. Lexi Bruno added 16 points for the Lightning, which won the glass battle (42-29) and made a few more long-range shots (7-2 in 3FG’s) to help prevail. Ariel Wilson and Tianna Smith tossed in 12 points each for BC, which out-shot GBC (46%-39%) yet still fell short.
- Caldwell opened the second half on an 18-2 blitz to subdue Holy Family and eventually picked up a 71-53 decision, allowing them to pull neck-and-neck with Bloomfield at the top of the CACC North. The Tigers led by as many as eight points in the first half and held a 36-32 lead at the break, never recovered from the early Cougar onslaught in the second half (which featured six different scorers and led to a 50-38 edge with 10:41 to play) and lost ground in the chase for CACC South playoff positioning. Kristen Drogsler (17 points), Karlie O’Driscoll (12 points), Sharell Sanders (10 points), Emily Caswell (12 boards) and Jessica Coscia (10 assists, 1 turnovers) were all central to Caldwell’s effort, as they shot 45% overall and used the ball extremely well (15/7 assist/turnover ratio to HFU’s 9-24 totals). No Tiger reached double digits in scoring (Abigail Iannotti led the scoring with 9 points) as the guests struggled in the second half (27% FG; 38% overall) and, despite grabbing more rebounds (42-33), absorbed the loss.
- Brianne Traub (14 points) became the all-time leading scorer for the University of the Sciences during their 71-43 romp over Concordia in Philadelphia. Traub (1945 points and counting) surpassed Shelby Rance for the #1 spot on the Devils list during the team’s 15th straight win, another program record. Sciences led all the way, starting the contest on a 14-2 run and posting two 10-0 surges to help gather a 49-22 halftime lead. The Clippers fell into a larger hole at the start of the second period (Sciences scored 9 of the first 11 points to stretch the gap to 58-24) and lost their eighth straight game. Jessica Sylvester (22 points, 6-8 3FG) topped the Devils scoring chart as they buried 13-32 from three-point land (Concordia was scoreless from that range, going 0-7) and put together a 25/12 assist/turnover ratio in the rout. Briana Hendrick’s career-high 13 points proved the lone good news for the Clippers, which suffered nine more turnovers (21-12) and was out-scored in points-off-TO’s, 20-12.
- Philadelphia stayed within a game of Sciences in the CACC South thanks to a cozy 83-65 win over Post. The Rams used an 8-0 run to take the lead for good (20-13, 9:54 of the first half) and shuttered the frame with a 13-4 spell to help earn a 46-33 halftime lead. The Eagles never closed the gap to single digits thereafter and lost for the sixth straight time. Monica Schacker (18 points), Najah Jacobs (17 points, 11-13 FT), Tori Arnao (12 points, 15 boards) and Mary Newell (12 points) all had hands in the Philadelphia attack, one which shot 46%, made 21-27 at the line and hauled in 13 more rebounds (50-37). Toni Deren (19 points, a career-high; 5-11 3FG) was Post’s best option, with Nicole Viselli (13 points) lending depth. The Eagles shot only 33% and paled at the line compared to the Rams (12-18 FT), yet still hold the final playoff spot in the CACC North.
NE-10 leaders prevail in a variety of ways…
- New Haven won a see-saw overtime game against the College of Saint Rose, 76-73, to extend their winning streak to six games and gain a half-game on idle Adelphi in the race for the NE-10 Southwest title. The Chargers forced OT thanks to a half-court buzzer-beating three-pointer from Aquillin Hayes (career-high 29 points; 11 boards) and never trailed in the extra session to stun the Golden Knights. Saint Rose led 41-30 after a 17-3 spree to open the second half but the Chargers hung in there and closed to within 61-60 in the dying seconds. Jamie Hutcheson (20 points, 10 boards) made two free throws to make it a 63-60 game with :03 left but Hayes’ dramatics changed the dynamic. UNH led 74-67 with just 35 ticks left in OT but the guests rallied and drew within a point, 77-76, with a 9-3 run capped by a Hutcheson trey with :09 to play. Rykema Stone (9 points, 11 rebounds) sank two foul shots to make it 79-76 and Gabie Polce’s (21 points) three-point try missed at the horn to consign Saint Rose to a hard-luck loss. Briana Bradford (16 points) was UNH’s next best option aside of Hayes while Staci Barrett (16 points, 8 rebounds) was a strong contributor for the Golden Knights. Saint Rose shot better (44%-35%) but fell short at the line (UNH 28-39; Saint Rose 15-21 FT), the main team stat differences in the thriller.
- NE-10 Northeast leader Stonehill had a less white-knuckle ride than New Haven but the Skyhawks held off a St. Michael’s rally to pick up a 63-56 win in Vermont to retain their four-game lead atop the division. A 15-1 bomb staked Stonehill to a 28-15 lead (7:37), one they never lost. A late 9-0 flurry helped them take a 37-21 lead into the break and they stayed in control until a 13-2 Purple Knight surge chopped the margin to 58-54 with 1:02 to go. That was as close as it got, as Stonehill made 5-6 at the line in the last 38 ticks to ice their fourth straight win. Kelly Martin (16 points), Tori Faieta (15 points, 10 rebounds) and Samantha Hyslip (13 points, 5-6 FG) led the Skyhawk offense while Maggie Sabine (21 points, 9 boards) and Makenzie Burud (13 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists) topped the SMC effort. Stonehill had a slight edge in shooting (43%-40%) and both teams shined at the line (Stonehill 16-17; SMC 12-14). The PK’s are locked in a three-way tie for 6th place in the NE-10 Northeast, a game behind St. Anselm, who hold 5th place, the final playoff spot in the division.
- Franklin Pierce routed Assumption in Worcester, 80-59, to keep a solid grip on 2nd place in the NE-10 Northeast. The Ravens led all the way, scoring the first seven points and ending the first half on a 9-2 spree to go into the intermission with a 33-25 lead. They slowly added to their advantage after the re-start, in large part thanks to a career-high 26 points (6-8 FG, 4-6 3FG, 10-10 FT) from Natalie Bastian. She was one of a quartet of Ravens in double digits as they had it all over the Greyhounds in shooting (49%-29%), rebounds (44-33) and free throws (28-32; AC 14-22 FT). Caitlin Ackerman (16 points, 8 boards) and Jaclyn Storey (16 points) supplied more than half of the Assumption production but had minimal help and dropped to 4th place in the division as a result.
ECC round-up…
- NYIT bounced back into 3rd place in the ECC thanks to a hard-fought 74-64 win at Bridgeport. The Bears trailed by as many as seven points early but rallied thanks to an 18-2 explosion to go ahead 29-21 (2:01), leading to a 29-26 halftime edge. While the Purple Knights tied the game twice in the second half (at 36 and 40), they never went ahead and eventually a 9-1 NYIT run (featuring seven foul shots) pushed the Bears into a 69-55 lead in the final minute. Dina Ragab (19 points, 11 rebounds), Shanice Allen (18 points) and Nina Vukosavljevic (career-high 17 points off the bench) led the way for the winners, which balanced off a nil output from deep (0-6 3FG) with a 26-35 showing at the line. Tiara Aziz (20 points; 10-15 FT) and Evelyn Ovner (11 points, 8 rebounds) were UB’s top threats but they had shooting issues all over the floor (37% FG, 4-16 3FG, 14-25 FT) and couldn’t quite overcome NYIT down the stretch.
- LIU Post beat Dowling, 76-62, to keep right in the ECC race (5th place but just two games off the top spot). Three-point shooting (12-36 3FG) and 20+ point games from Chelsea Williams (24 points, 5-10 3FG), Ashley Castle (22 points, 6-14 3FG) and Nyasia Davis (22 points, 10 boards, 11-15 FG) were the building blocks for the Pioneers, who held a 44-32 halftime lead. The Golden Lions, led by Krstina Surlan (24 points, 8 boards, 6 assists) and Christine Verrelle (10 points, 10 caroms) rallied with a 12-2 spree to get within 59-56 at the 8:23 mark but feel victim to a killer 15-0 LIU Post response. The resulting 74-56 scoreline (3:20) was too much to recover from, leaving DC two games out of an ECC playoff spot. Along with the three-point production, LIU Post was also great with the ball (24/6 assist/turnover ratio), helping their cause to no end.
- Molloy’s recent good form continued as they overcame St. Thomas Aquinas, 72-54, to rise into the final ECC playoff spot. A late first half 26-6 bomb was pivotal to the Lions success, as that spell helped them post a 40-23 halftime lead. The Spartans had no answer to that deficit and are a half-game behind Molloy in the scrap for that final post season berth. Maggie Salomone (16 points), Sabrina Padro (15 points) and Nicole Arnone (17 rebounds) stood tall for the Lions, which out-shot STAC (49%-35%) and beat them off the glass (42-33), as well. Jenna Erickson (19 points) and Sabrina Eggink (10 points, 6 rebounds) led the way for the Spartans in defeat.
CACC recaps…
- A 19-2 run to start the second half propelled Wilmington to a 79-64 win over Dominican, denting the Chargers hope to gain ground in the CACC North. The host Wildcats enjoyed a 12-0 first half run to flip a 22-16 deficit into a 28-22 lead and pulled into the break with a 36-31 edge. After the explosion to begin the final frame (55-33, 14:22), Wilmington relented, allowing Dominican to whittle the margin to 66-59 with 5:22 left. WU responded to that with the next seven points, doubling the lead (73-59, 2:58) and locking the game up. Cari Callaway (19 points), Tenicia Spence (18 points) and Jennifer Carr (17 points, 10 rebounds) did the work for the Wildcats, which shot 46%, made twice as many triples (8-4) and had a 49-35 rebound advantage. Rebecca Rabeiro (14 points) and Lashonda Hathorne (13 points) topped the DC ticket but they shot only 39% as a team. The Chargers stayed in 3rd place in the CACC North but Wilmington, despite the win, is out of CACC South playoff contention.
- Chestnut Hill may have been eliminated from CACC South playoff contention this weekend but conjured up a fine comeback to nip Nyack at the wire in their game, 70-68. The Griffins trailed by as many as 14 points in the first half (36-28 at the break) and faced a 48-37 deficit with 11:05 to go but rallied. A 9-0 sprint cut the gap to 48-46 with 9:49 left and they took the lead for the first time with 4:00 left as part of a 10-3 run that ended with CHC ahead, 67-63 (2:15). The Warriors scored five of the next six points, wrapped up by a Jamie McKeither (23 points, 9 boards) basket with :13 left, to tie it at 68. Nina Mazzarelli (13 points) snapped the tie immediately at the other end (CHC 70-68) but Nyack did have one final chance (after two missed Griffin foul shots) to tie. Tori Trador’s shot at the horn missed, however, and the Griffins had the victory. Olivia Gorczynski (18 points) led four double-digit scorers for Chestnut Hill while Raven Makins (15 points, 6 boards) provided the main support for McKeither on the Warrior stat sheet. Nyack is three games (loss column) out of the final CACC North playoff spot with four games remaining.
- Felician moved to within a game of the last CACC North playoff place thanks to a solid 68-44 win over Georgian Court. The Golden Falcons led all the way (29-15 at the half) and were in no danger at any juncture. Ashley Morris (19 points, 9 boards), Shyla Osmond (15 points), Mary Chisholm (13 points) and Eliana Scanlon (11 points, 10 boards) shared the load for Felician, which shot 43% and held the Lions to just 30%. Kiara Colston (11 points) and Tahira Matthews (10 points, 13 rebounds) were GCU’s best options but along with shooting poorly overall, they made only 1-13 from three-point land and shot a terrible 9-26 from the line. Add in Felician forcing more turnovers (23-16) and it all adds up to a satisfactory day for the Golden Falcons.
NE-10 results…
- Merrimack usurped Assumption for 3rd place in the NE-10 Northeast thanks to their 64-54 win at Southern New Hampshire. The Warriors rallied from an early eight-point deficit to take a 31-29 halftime lead and never lost it. Still, the Penmen were in the game all the way, at least until a 7-0 MC jag put them ahead 64-52 in the final minute, ending any latent comeback hopes for SNHU. Chloe Rothman (23 points) and Aria Johnson (16 points, 9 boards) were the top threats for the Warriors, as they prompted eight more turnovers (23-15) and fared better from long-distance (5-16; SNHU 0-5 3FG). Vic Wiseman (15 points, 6 boards) and Sara Ryan (14 points) topped the SNHU scoring list and they ended with more rebounds (39-31) but also with their fifth straight loss. The Penmen are part of the three-way tie for 6th place in the division, a game behind St. Anselm.
- In said race for the final NE-10 Northeast Division playoff spot, Bentley struck a key blow, beating St. Anselm in overtime in Manchester, 91-82. The Falcons recovered from an early 21-4 deficit and put five players in double digits to revive their post season hopes. By halftime the visitors had drawn to within a point (39-38) and they claimed a 47-41 lead (17:19) as part of a 9-2 spell to kick-off the second half. The margin grew to 70-60 (5:29) before the Hawks bounced back, an 11-2 spell fueled by a trio of Caitlin Abela three-pointers (19 points, 10 boards, 5-11 3FG), cutting the lead to 72-71 (2:40). Candace Andrews (career-high 34 points; 13-27 FG, 8-8 FT) tied the contest with two free throws (:35), 76-76, and neither team scored after that, necessitating an extra five minutes. Bentley never trailed once there, taking the lead for good thanks to a Lauren Green (22 points, 5-8 3FG) triple, 81-78 (2:14). That, coupled with going 12-13 at the line in OT, proved enough for the Falcons to claim the win and tighten the race considerably. Carlene Kluge (career-best 16 points; 8-8 FG) and Brittany Gregory (personal-high 15 points) were vital for Bentley, with Jen Gemma (14 points, 13 boards) and Jane White (10 points) also reaching double-digits. Kaila Duarte (15 points, 10 boards) double-doubled for the Hawks in support of Andrews and Abela. The major team stat difference was at the line (mostly thanks to the OT), where Bentley hit 25-29 and St. A’s made 14-19.
- Southern Connecticut solidified 3rd place in the NE-10 Southwest by fending off a late rally and dropping LeMoyne, 73-67. The Owls rode an 18-4 first half run to a 41-25 halftime bulge and led by as many as 20 points (52-32, 15:39) before the home-standing Dolphins got into gear. Spurts of 11-2 and 10-0 helped LC trim the gap to 63-59 with 1:40 to go but a key three-pointer from Maria Weseleyj (13 points, 3-4 3FG) stunted the comeback (66-59) and provided SCSU (who made 7-8 at the line thereafter) enough to weather the storm. Balance was the ticket for SCSU, with Sydni Lester (14 points), Mariah Hankton (13 points), Weselyj, Danielle Powell (10 points, 12 boards) and Jackie Beathea (10 points) all splitting the responsibilities. Conversely, Vandell Andrade (career-high 26 points; 10 boards) was the only Dolphin to reach double figures. The Owls have a three-game lead in the loss column over the teams behind them in the playoff race while LC (losers of their last four outings) is tied for 4th place with AIC, two games ahead of the teams trailing them.
- AIC repelled Pace, 54-48, to keep their playoff spot intact and push the Setters a game further behind. An 8-1 burst to close the first half sent the Yellow Jackets into the interval ahead (25-24) and they began the second half on the same track, posting a 14-5 run (22-6 overall) to widen the lead to 39-29. Pace hung in it and came as close as four points (47-43, 5:01) but Alyssa Roach (11 points) sank a trey on AIC’s next trip to get the lead back to 50-43 and the Jackets held firm from there. Krista Ferrentino (14 points, 11 rebounds) and Kamika Mason (10 points, 7 boards) were solid for the winners while Kirsten Dodge (11 points, 9 boards in 11 minutes off the bench) was the sole Setter to score in double digits. AIC’s main areas of positive work were at the line (16-22; Pace 6-10 FT) and in turnovers (22-14, leading to a 20-11 plus in points-off-TO’s).