Posted: Feb 14, 2018
Women’s Game Recaps #62 – 2/13/18
- Six CACC games dotted the slate onTuesday with both divisional leaders in action, one of which avoided an upset…
- Sarah Abbonizio scored a game-high 22 points and played the central role as the University of the Sciences, the CACC South Division leader, edged past Goldey-Beacom in a taffy-pull of a game, 41-32. The Devils, who set a program-record with their seventeenth straight win, were locked down by the Lightning much of the night but managed to find enough to push through in the fourth period. The game was tied at the half (20-20) and after three frames (27-all) before Sciences opened the last frame with a 12-2 surge, keyed by Abbonizio (6-20 FG, 2-5 3FG, 8-10 FT), who collected ten points during that spell. The resulting 39-29 lead with under a minute left put the pin in GBC’s upset hopes and also eliminated them from playoff contention. No Devil aside of Abbonizio scored more than five points, although Laura Trisch grabbed a game-best ten rebounds. Tanner Turner-Rush (9 points) and Amanda McGrogan (8 points) led the Lightning scoring list. GBC shot a little better, relatively-speaking (29-27%), but the Devils did make some inroads at the line, hitting 11-14 while the Lightning shot just 5-6 at the stripe. With the victory, Sciences head coach Jackie Hartzell earned her 100th career triumph.
- CACC North Division leader Caldwell had a less stressful evening, dispatching Nyack, 75-50, to retain a one-game edge atop the division (over idle Bloomfield). Sharell Sanders tossed in 26 points (9-11 FG, 8-9 FT) and Kristen Drogsler added 20 points, 7 boards and 5 steals to spark the Cougars to the win. Caldwell ended the first quarter on an 11-2 burst to take the lead for good and closed the half with a 16-2 spree to claim a non-refundable 32-16 advantage. The Warriors (losers of thirteen games in a row) were able to pare the deficit to 51-37 by the end of the third frame but never came within single digits in the last stanza. Janae Bailey led Nyack with 12 points but they fell short at the line (Caldwell 18-23; Nyack 6-15 FT) and in possession, as the Cougars out-scored the Warriors in points-off-TO’s, 34-10.
- The game of the night was Chestnut Hill’s 91-84 overtime decision over Wilmington, a game which featured fourteen ties and eleven lead changes, with the clubs never further apart than nine points. The Griffins placed six players in double digits while the Wildcats had four reach that level. Wilmington claimed a 74-71 lead with 2:14 left in regulation after a triple from Macy Robinson (20 points) and a basket from Emma Matthews (22 points) but a Mary Trossi (10 points, 8 boards, 5 assists) free throw and a pair of freebies from Jaeda Wildgoose (13 points, 9 rebounds) with ten seconds left tied it at 74. Jadyn Whitsitt’s (15 points, 8 boards) shot at the horn missed for WU and it was on to overtime, where the game was tied at 76, 78, 80 and 82 before a breakthrough. A Wildgoose basket kicked off a 7-0 CHC binge into the last minute that decided it (Chestnut Hill, 89-82) and allowed the Griffins to tie their program mark for wins as an NCAA Division II team (16). Vicky Tumasz (22 points), Cassie Sebold (17 points), Shannon Glenn (14 points, 8 caroms) and Cailey Gibson (13 points) all submitted solid work for the winners, who had the upper hand at the line (CHC 21-31; WU 11-12 FT) and stayed firmly in third place in the CACC South Division as a result. Nyree Grant (10 points, 13 rebounds) turned in a double-double for the Wildcats, who have dropped seven games in succession and are out of CACC playoff contention.
- Holy Family locked up a CACC South Division playoff berth with a 77-59 win over Georgian Court, dominating the second half to earn their spot. The Lions held a 32-25 halftime advantage (after leading by as many as ten points late in the second quarter) but it didn’t last. HFU started the third period well (10-2) and closed it nicely (9-2) to surge ahead, 54-50. The fourth period began with an 11-2 burst (in all, a 20-4 run) to make it a 65-52 game and the Lions never got back into it. Anjelia Hayes (19 points, a career-high), Casey Schweitzer (15 points, 5 assists, 5 steals), Elizabeth Radley (13 points), Casey Thomas (12 points) and Alexis Hofstaedter (11 points, 7 boards, 7 dimes) all played key roles for the Tigers, who have only lost once to Georgian Court in thirty all-time meetings. Alba Herrero-Gomez (15 points, 6 boards) and Jess Placher (14 points) led the GCU scoring. Free throws were a big plus for Holy Family (16-22; GCU 1-2 FT) and the Tigers also had the upper hand in turnovers (20-11) and points generated from TO’s (23-12).
- Felician claimed a 66-55 win against Concordia to keep themselves in fourth place in the CACC North Division and gained ground on the team above them (Dominican). Bionca Chambers (career-high-tying 18 points; 7 rebounds, 5 steals) led the way for the Golden Falcons with three others (Shana Owen, Kayla Diaz and Kameron Stone) adding nine points to the effort. Felician finished the first half with an 8-2 run to grab a 34-28 lead and they didn’t allow the Clippers (who have dropped their last five games) to get it back. Nicole Nicholson (18 points) and Lyric Blanch (16 points) provided the majority of the offense for Concordia. The Golden Falcons were the better team in shooting (42-34%) terms and collected 22 of the game’s 29 points-off-turnover to help their side. Felician has a two-game (loss column) lead over Post and now trail Dominican by just one game in the division.
- Post kept their playoff hopes alive and pulled Dominican back to the CACC North Division pack by pinning a 56-51 loss on the Chargers. This one was a tight game (five ties, six lead swaps and a spread of no more than seven points) and was decided by an 8-2 jag to close the game by the Eagles. Ciera Rivera’s free throws gave DC a 49-48 lead with 2:11 to go but Toni Deren (13 points) sank a triple (1:59) and buried a pair of foul shots (:39) to put Post ahead to stay, 53-49. Taylor Tomlinson (12 points, 10 rebounds) brought Dominican back within 53-51 (:22) with a basket but Post drilled 3-4 at the line the rest of the way to confirm the result. Lauren Chambers (15 points), Jasmyne Fogle (11 points) and Meaghan Gotham (15 rebounds) made their presence known for Post along with Deren while Alpreshia Parker (11 points) joined Tomlinson in double digits for the Chargers.
- The weekly national polls have plenty of East Regional teams represented. Stonehill (#20 WBCA; #8 D2SIDA) and Sciences (#18 WBCA; #12 D2SIDA) appear in both top 25’s. Bentley is #14 in the WBCA poll and received votes in the D2SIDA poll. St. Thomas Aquinas is #23 in the D2SIDA poll and Jefferson received votes in both polls.