Women's Game Recaps #57 - 2/16/15

Posted: Feb 16, 2015

Stunner in CACC as Chargers end Devils win streak…

  • The eye-opening result of the weekend had to be Dominican’s 65-59 win over the University of the Sciences, a result which snapped the Devils 16-game winning skein. DC won it by ending the game on an 11-2 run, flipping a 57-54 deficit with 3:42 left. To that point the game had been a tight one (12 lead changes and two ties). The Chargers led 26-24 at the half and extended the margin to 32-24 after three-pointers from Shannon McGill and Stefani Alston. DC held the edge until Jessica Sylvester (21 points, 5-9 3FG) canned a trey at the 5:40 mark to put Sciences in front, 50-49. Deja Gabbidon (22 points, 13 boards) scored the next five points to send Dominican back ahead, 54-50, but the Devils countered with the next seven points, capped by a Sarah Abbonizio triple, to lead 57-54. DC’s decisive winning spree was started by an 8-0 stretch in which Gabbidon scored the initial seven points (62-57, :38). Brianne Traub (1-13 FG, 0-7 3FG) scored her only basket for the Devils with 27 seconds left to get it down to 62-59 but two foul shots from Lisa Bouffard (10 points) and another from Gabbidon closed the scoring. Dominican’s Lashonda Hathorne (23 points, 8 boards; 8-12 FG, 7-8 FT) scored her 1,000th career point to make it even more memorable for the Charger faithful, as they consolidated their spot as the #3 team in the CACC North. Colleen Walsh (12 points) joined Sylvester in double digits for Sciences, which made 10-32 from three-point land (DC was 4-9 3FG) but was second-best in most every other area, especially at the line (DC 19-26; Sciences 5-13 FT). Despite the setback the Devils still have the lead in the CACC South, by a game in the loss column over Philadelphia.

 

  • On that topic, Philadelphia muzzled Nyack, 69-56, to keep the heat on Sciences in the division race. An 11-3 run in the late stages of the first half helped the Rams gather a 35-28 lead at the break and they kept the Warriors at bay in the second period, never pulling away but never being seriously threatened. The Rams canned 7-8 at the line in the final 1:15 to secure the victory, highlighting one of their strongest categories (22-29; Nyack 10-13 FT). Monica Schacker (24 points) and Tori Arnao (14 points, 17 boards) led four double figure scorers for the Rams, which shot 43% and snared 15 more rebounds (47-32) on the day. Raven Makins (14 points) and Alyssa Gatti (11 points) notched double digits for the Warriors but they shot only 32% overall, including 6-30 from long-range. Nyack is now out of playoff contention in the CACC North while Philadelphia holds 2nd place in the CACC South.

 

  • Bloomfield kept their spot atop the CACC North with an 82-58 win over Georgian Court, riding the crest of a 26-2 explosion to end the first half and rolling to the win. The Lions led 26-23 with 6:06 left in the opening frame but the Bears roared to life with 18-0 and 8-0 spells around a GCU basket and arrived at the interval with a solid 49-28 lead. The margin stayed at least twelve points the rest of the way as the Bears made it three straight wins and stayed a game ahead of Caldwell in the loss column. Tianna Smith (29 points, 8-13 FG, 11-12 FT), Ariel Wilson (23 points, 9 steals, 7 boards) and Lauren Deverin (16 points) were the BC catalysts as they made 21-25 at the line and dominated in turnovers (28-20) and points-off-TO’s (32-8). Tahira Matthews (20 points, 7 boards) was one of three Lions in double digits but despite shooting better than Bloomfield (46%-43%) they paled at the line (7-12 FT) and turnovers (as previously noted) wrecked their hopes.

 

  • Nicole Angelo’s (16 points) three-pointer with 18 seconds left forced overtime and allowed Caldwell to go on to claim a 96-92 win over Goldey-Beacom in Delaware. This one was a back-and-forth affair (11 ties, 7 lead changes) which arrived at the half even at 50. The Cougars scored the first eight points of the second half (58-50) and didn’t trail again until 2:02 was left on the clock, thanks to a Reighly Melochick basket that sent the Lightning into an 83-81 lead. Lillian Chukwueze (19 points, 11 boards) converted at the :30 mark to make it 87-84, GBC, only to see Angelo sink the game-tying trey shortly thereafter. Lexi Bruno (20 points, 9 assists) missed at the horn for Goldey-Beacom and it was on to overtime, where Kristen Drogsler’s (10 points) triple put the Cougars ahead to stay, 92-90 (2:05). Drogsler and Chukwueze traded baskets and with six ticks left Antoinette Pilla (12 points) dropped in two foul shots to lock up the result for the Cougars. Emily Caswell (24 points, 9 boards) and Karlie O’Driscoll (17 points; 7-7 FG, 3-3 FT) led six double figure scorers for Caldwell while Bruno, Chukwueze and Britani Bryson (16 points, 9 rebounds) topped five double digit scorers for GBC. Caldwell’s main team stat edges were at the line (22-28; GBC 5-9 FT) and in ball-handling (25/11 assist/turnover line to GCB’s 21/18 totals) while the Lightning grabbed ten more rebounds (43-33). Caldwell is a half-game behind Bloomfield in the race for the top spot in the CACC North while Goldey-Beacom has clinched a berth in the CACC South playoff places and still has a chance to catch Holy Family for 3rd place.

 

ECC leaders prevail, others make moves…

  • The University of the District of Columbia annexed a pillar-to-post win over Molloy, 79-61, to stay atop the ECC by two games (loss column) and earn their current region-best tenth consecutive victory. Denikka Brent (19 points, 9 rebounds; 7-11 FG, 5-5 FT), Taj Baldwin-Kollore (19 points) and Telisha Turner (16 points, 5 assists) did the job for the Firebirds, who doubled-up the Lions in the first half (40-20) and were hardly threatened thereafter. Ally Leftridge (career-high 21 points) was the pick of the lot for the Lions, who trail St. Thomas Aquinas for the final playoff spot by a half-game but are tied in the loss column. UDC out-shot their guests (47%-35%), especially in the first half (50%-25%), and drilled 11-22 from three-point land to punctuate the result. Molloy was just 4-18 from long-range but got to the line more often (21-32; UDC 14-18 FT) in this one.

 

  • Roberts Wesleyan beat Dowling, 79-67, to help forge a three-way tie for 2nd place in the ECC (with NYIT and Queens). The Redhawks were paced by Marissa Sell (21 points, 10-15 FG; and 18 rebounds, which helped her break the all-time RWC career record) and Christina Healy (15 points; 7-9 FG) while the Golden Lions received solid performances from Krstina Surlan (23 points, 8 rebounds), Jessica Kalbfleisch (14 points) and Christine Verrelle (13 points, 10 assists, 7 boards). RWC led 39-33 at the half and widened it to 50-36 by coming out of the gate with an 11-3 spell to start the second half (Necedah James had eight of the points). Dowling hung in there and closed the margin to 66-63 (6:00) after a 15-2 burst but could only muster four points the rest of the way, allowing the Redhawks to pull away. Rebounding (48-35) was the major difference in this clash, with both teams using the ball well (assist/turnover ratios of 19/11 for Molloy and 16/11 for RWC). Dowling (on a five-game slide) is still mathematically alive in the ECC playoff race, three games out of the final spot with four games to play.

 

  • NYIT is part of the 2nd place logjam after their 103-77 battering of Mercy. A 12-0 run gave the Bears the lead for good in the early going (20-9, 13:05) and they got to the half on top, 50-37. The duplicated the margin (53-40) in the second half, slowly building the lead as the period went along. Julie Williams (20 points, 10-12 FT), Shanice Allen (19 points), Shannon Duer (16 points, 8 boards) and Dina Ragab (16 points, 7 caroms, 8-9 FT) led the effort for NYIT as they shot 44% and cleaned up at the foul line (36-44 FT). Brandone Roberts (21 points, 17 boards), Casey Sullivan (15 points) and Tatiana Parish (13 points) kept the Mavericks afloat but it was not enough despite a three-point edge (8-3) on the day.

 

  • The ‘upset’ of the day in the ECC would have to be St. Thomas Aquinas’ 77-69 win over LIU Post, giving the Spartans playoff hopes a major shot in the arm and denying the Pioneers a chance to be part of the 2nd place mix. The Spartans led all the way, blasting to a 23-5 lead early on thanks to a 17-0 spurt (9:58). The halftime spread was 45-28 and STAC led by double digits nearly the entire second half, the Pioneers only getting within single figures in the final minute. Samantha Burden (18 points, 6 rebounds), Jenna Erickson (17 points, 3-6 3FG) and Kristen Olsen (15 points, 4-6 3FG) showed the path for STAC, as they shot better (46%-34%), were more efficient from three-point land (8-16; LIU Post 7-23 3FG) and got to the line more frequently (27-37; LIU Post 20-34 FT) in a foul-ridden game (54 of them). Jessica Little (15 points, 7 boards), Chelsea Williams (13 points but only 4-17 FG) and Nyasia Davis (11 points, 8 boards) topped the Pioneer attack but saw a three-game win streak come to an end. They are in 5th place at the moment, a game out of the three-way tie for 2nd place while STAC has a half-game lead (even in the loss column) over Molloy for the final playoff berth.

 

  • Daemen made it back-to-back wins with a 68-61 decision at Bridgeport, holding off a Purple Knight rally in the closing minutes. The Wildcats used a late 14-2 jaunt to build a 40-29 halftime lead and, after a swap of 8-0 runs, clutched a 54-43 edge with 9:09 left. UB fought back and closed the gap to 63-61 with 1:17 to go but ran dry thereafter. Sarah Saba (25 points, a career-high; 11 rebounds) sank 3-4 at the line and Leah McDonell made two more to put the finishing touches on the win. Raeann Stilwell (11 points) and Shy Britton (10 points) also chipped in nicely for the Wildcats, who were +10 on the glass (48-38). Tiara Aziz (29 points, 7 boards; 11-21 FG, 6-7 FT), Jenna Hoffman (13 points) and Eveyln Ovner (11 points) accounted for all but eight of the UB points as they dropped their fourth game in a row.

 

NE-10 league leaders earn wins, movement in playoff races below…

  • Stonehill became the fourth team to win 20 games this year with a 64-49 dispatch of Southern New Hampshire. The Skyhawks were led by Paige Marshall (16 points) and Kelly Martin (14 points) as they overcame a slow start to build a 35-28 halftime lead. A 9-0 spurt made it 46-31 with 15:23 left and a trade of 9-0 runs later on (SNHU first) ended with the Skyhawks on top 57-42 (6:41) and on course to win their sixth straight contest. Vic Wiseman (12 points, 7 boards, 5 steals) and Erin Doherty (11 points) led the way for the Penmen but their lack of three-point accuracy (1-12; Stonehill 8-24 3FG) and slack ball-handling (5 assists, 21 turnovers) hurt. SNHU’s loss leaves them a game out of the final NE-10 Northeast playoff spot.

 

  • Franklin Pierce is closing in on the #2 spot in the NE-10 Northeast after their 80-72 victory over St. Anselm. The Ravens got to the half ahead, 44-35, thanks to a late 13-2 run but the Hawks stayed in touch. A 9-0 St. A’s run drew them within 49-44 (15:20) and they got as close as 70-68 (2:17) after a pair of Ali Glennon (career-high 24 points; 5-10 3FG, 7-8 FT) foul shots. Jessica Hurd (career-best 23 points; 10 boards) scored 15 seconds later to give FPU some breathing room and the Ravens knocked in 7-8 at the stripe in the last 1:01 to make certain of the result. Kara Charette (21 points, 8 boards), Jasmyne Fogle (10 points) and Natalie Bastian (10 points) lent depth for the Ravens, who were nearly perfect at the line (18-19 FT) and were excellent with the ball (27 assists on 29 baskets; only eight turnovers). Candace Andrews (18 points, 5 assists), Caitlyn Abela (13 points, 8 rebounds) and Kaila Duarte (11 points, 6 rebounds) were solid for the Hawks, which also fared well at the line (10-12 FT) and handled the ball nicely (13 assists, 5 miscues). Franklin Pierce (42-30 on the glass) is one win from locking up the #2 seed in the division while St. Anselm is one game out of the final playoff spot.

 

  • Assumption handed Merrimack a 60-56 defeat in North Andover behind a career-high 21 points from Allison Stoddard, in the process taking over 3rd place in the NE-10 Northeast. The Greyhounds led 34-27 at halftime and saw the Warriors come within two points on a variety of occasions but never caught them. The final time was at 51-49 with 4:20 to go, and MC was still within one possession until a pair of Stoddard FT’s made it 59-54 in the final seconds. Tia Scott scored with 8.8 ticks left but Stoddard made a foul shot moments later to make sure AC got the win. Caitlin Ackerman (12 points, 6 boards) and Ann Marie Idusuyi (11 rebounds) aided the Assumption effort while Aria Johnson (17 points, 10 boards) was a pillar for the Warriors. AC had the upper hand at the line (13-16; MC 6-9 FT) and from long-range (5-2 in 3FG’s) to feed the result.

 

  • St. Michael’s won at Bentley in a thrilling nationally-televised game, 64-62, in the process taking a huge step towards an NE-10 Northeast playoff berth. The Purple Knights scored seven of the final nine points to come out on top, winning for only the fourth time in 62 all-time meetings with the Falcons (oddly, they swept the series in 2005-’06 and this year). The contest was as extraordinarily tight, with 12 ties and 19 lead changes. It was even at the half (32-32) but Bentley enjoyed the largest lead (50-42) with 11:43 to play before a 12-4 SMC rally tied matters at 54 (8:31). Kelsey Mattice’s (16 points, 6-11 FG) drive put the Falcons ahead, 60-57, with 4:58 left but a pair of key Makenzie Burud (14 points, 11 boards, career-high 7 assists) three-pointers pushed the visitors into a 63-60 lead with 2:20 left. Indira Evora (16 points, 9 rebounds) made 1-2 at the line with 23.1 left (63-60) but Mattice cut the gap to 64-62 thanks to a tough banker at the 13.4 mark. Burud missed the front end of a 1+1 at the other end but the Falcons could not get one to drop in the dying seconds to force overtime. Maggie Sabine (18 points, 7 boards) led the SMC attack as they won the board battle (45-38) and fared a little better at the line (14-20; Bentley 9-13 FT) and from deep (6-3 in 3FG’s). Lauren Green (13 points), Kristin Brown (career-high 10 points) and Jen Gemma (8 points, 15 rebounds) contributed for the Falcons but they find themselves a game behind SMC with three left in the race for the final playoff spot.

 

  • Adelphi repelled Southern Connecticut, 77-62, in Moore Field House to stay a step ahead of New Haven in the NE-10 Southwest. The Panthers overcame an early 8-0 deficit thanks to a 19-2 bomb (19-10, 12:39) and never relinquished the lead. They held a 39-31 bulge at the break and extended it to 62-49 with 10:16 left thanks to a 10-2 run. SCSU stuck to it but could not get any closer than six points for the duration, AU closing the contest with an 11-4 flourish. Anh-Dao Tran (15 points), Kelly Mannix (14 points, 10 boards), Jante Bracewell (12 points, 13 boards, both career-highs) and Calli Balfour (12 points) shared the wealth for the Panthers while Sydni Lester (13 points, 10 boards), Jackie Beathea (12 points, 14 rebounds), Nicole Grossbard (11 points) and Danielle Powell (11 boards) led the way for the Owls. The main team stat edge for AU was behind the arc, where they were 7-22 while SCSU shot 2-19. Despite the loss, the Owls look a good bet for 3rd place in the division.

 

  • New Haven won for the eighth straight time, this one an 83-73 win over Pace, they keys being sensational board work (41-23, including 21-6 in offensive boards) and free throw domination (UNH 28-31; Pace 5-7 FT). They needed it, as the Setters drilled 12-25 from three-point land (UNH was 5-17) and pushed them all day. New Haven led 38-32 at the half and the teams traded the lead for the next 15 minutes. Yuni Sher’s basket put Pace ahead,  68-64, with 5:30 to go but the Chargers ran away after that, scoring 13 points in a row (77-68, 2:33) and 19 of the next 21 points (83-70). Five Chargers scored in double digits, led by Briana Bradford (18 points in 19 bench minutes; 10-10 FT), Aquillin Hayes (16 points) and Ashley LeBlanc (12 points, 10 boards). Pace put four in doubles themselves, sparked by Christina Rubin (20 points, 6-10 3FG) and Gabriella Rubin (15 points). The Setters shot 53% from the field and held UNH to 41% yet still fell short, putting them on the precipice of playoff extinction.

 

  • LeMoyne clinched an NE-10 Southwest playoff spot thank to a 73-53 win at the College of Saint Rose. A 10-0 run midway through the first half staked the Dolphins to a 41-33 halftime bulge and an 8-0 spell pushed the gap to 54-37 with 13:34 to play, more than the Golden Knights could counter. Vandell Andrade (21 points), Emily Greer (16 points, 10 boards) and Alex Marple (13 points) led the LC attack, one that shot 53% and pulled in ten more rebounds (31-21). Mariah Lesure (23 points) shone for the Golden Knights but they shot 42% overall and couldn’t find a way back into it once they fell behind. LC has a half-game lead on idle AIC for 4th place in the loop while Saint Rose is two games behind both in the loss column with two games to play.

 

CACC wrap-up has playoff implications…

  • Holy Family showed their mettle with a 94-59 win over Concordia, keeping their hopes of a 2nd place finish in the CACC South alive. The Tigers led from start-to-finish here with a 27-8 close to the first half, sending them into the locker room on top, 48-25. The Clippers fell further behind at the onset of the second period as HFU tallied the first eleven points (59-25), ensuring the result. Jill Conroy (12 points), Erin Fenningham and Sarah Pawlak (10 points each) led the HFU scoring but they also had eight players score between 6-9 points, superb balance. As an off-shoot, the Tigers shot 51% overall, drilled 15-22 from three-point land (nine different players hit at least one trey) and 17-22 at the line, exemplary shooting across the board. Jessica Rosalbo (16 points) and Khadijah Donaldson (10 points) were the sole Clippers in double figures as they shot 39% from the floor as a unit. Concordia is a game out of the final playoff spot in the CACC North as it stands with three games left.

 

  • Post ended an eight-game slide and gained a game on all three of their pursuers in the CACC North, wrapping up a crucial 73-68 win at Chestnut Hill. Deaisia Acklin (career-high 29 points; 11-23 FG,, 6-10 FT, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, 5 steals) was everywhere for the Eagles, although she had help from Lexus Childs-Harris (16 points, 10 boards) and Dericka Sims (11 points, 9 caroms) in the win. The Griffins led 29-28 at halftime and stayed on top until a Childs-Harris basket with 10:52 left sent Post ahead, 51-50. A 12-3 run a little later gave the Eagles a 67-60 lead (3:26) and they held CHC at bay thereafter to prevail. Nicole Parriski (career-high 16 points and 13 rebounds) and Tiffany Turner (14 points, 14 boards) led the Griffin effort with solid aid from Olivia Gorczynski (10 points, 9 boards) and Brianne Morgan (10 points). Post had he edge in shooting (43%-33%) and at the line (15-25; CHC 9-12 FT) to neutralize the Griffins 54-46 board plus. Chestnut Hill has been eliminated from playoff contention with the defeat but Post has a one-game lead (loss column) over Felician and Concordia in the CACC North with two games left.

 

  • Wilmington turned back Felician, 83-65, to damage the Golden Falcons playoff hopes. The Wildcats led 40-30 at the break and reacted well once Felician chopped the margin down to 59-54 (9:10). A 9-0 spurt put enough distance between the teams (67-54, 7:01) to allow the WU to coast home and guarantee their highest win total in five years. Zameria Jones (career-best 27 points; 12-24 FG) was the leader for the winners, who had a huge bench edge (39-6), dominated the paint (28-10) and forced 17 more turnovers (29-12). Eliana Scanlon (19 points), Ashley Morris (17 points, 14 boards) and Shyla Osmond (13 points) topped the Golden Falcon scoring but it was not their day and they are now on the outside looking in at the playoff race in the CACC North.

 

Poll points…

  • The new D2SIDA East Regional poll was released today with a new #1, Stonehill. The Skyhawks jumped back over Adelphi for the top spot with #3 (New Haven) and #4 (UDC) staying the same. Franklin Pierce is up a spot to #5, trading places with the University of the Sciences (#6). Roberts Wesleyan gained two places (#7), Queens stayed the same (#8), Philadelphia fell two spots (#9) and Southern Connecticut stayed put (#10) to round it out. (NYIT and LeMoyne also received votes). The D2SIDA national poll will come out tomorrow, as will the WBCA/USA Today Sports poll, but the key poll this week will be the first NCAA’s official regional poll, coming out Wednesday. That’s the one that will eventually determine the regional at-large bids as well as the order of the top 8, so all eyes will be peeled. Updates on all polls will be here when they are released.