WOMEN’S BASKETBALL HOLDS OFF STAC IN OVERTIME, 60-56

Box Score vs. STAC - January 20, 2010

SPARKILL, N.Y. (Jan. 20, 2010) – In the overtime stanza, the Molloy College women’s basketball squad held the opposition to just two points, and came out with a 60-56 victory over East Coast Conference nemesis St. Thomas Aquinas College on Wednesday evening at Aquinas Gymnasium in Sparkill, N.Y. The Lions have now jumped to 10-5 overall and 7-3 in league play. They have also won three straight and four of five. As for the Spartans, they dropped to 7-9 and 3-7 in the ECC. STAC has also lost four of its previous five contests.

Knotted at 12-up with just over 11 minutes to go in the first half, Molloy posted a 7-0 run in a time of 1:45 to grab a 19-12 lead with 9:25 left. Senior forward Kymira Woodberry (Hyde Park, Mass.) opened and ended the run with a deuce. Senior guard Lisa Claxton (Hempstead, N.Y.) added a three from the hash mark. Soon after, the Lions were ahead 23-16 with four-plus remaining in the period. The Spartans then had four of the final six points in the half, which was anchored by a trey from the top of the key by senior guard Colleen Vogel (Emerson, N.J.).

The Lions started up the second half with four straight points off lay-ups from junior center Caitlin Wheeler (Belle Harbor, N.Y.) and graduate guard Jenna McLaughlin (Carle Place, N.Y.), respectively. STAC quickly answered with a 9-0 burst over a two-minute stint to knot the contest up at 29-all with 15:35 remaining. Sophomore forward Briana Sloper (Williston Park, N.Y.) accounted for all of the scoring in the streak. She ended up with a double-double on the evening as the Williston Park native totaled 21 points and 14 rebounds.

Later on, the hosts trailed 45-44 with just under six minutes to go. The Spartans then got five unanswered points to grab hold of a 50-45 advantage with 3:30 left. Rookie guard Shpresa Liharevic (Staten Island, N.Y.) sparked the run with a jay. Freshman guard/forward Sophie Bertrand (Ozoir Le Ferriere, France) followed with a jumper of her own. Freshman guard Bianca Kowgios (Yonkers, N.Y.) capped it off with a lay-up. The visitors responded right away with an 8-2 burst to get back the lead (53-52) at the one-minute mark.

Woodberry wrapped up the streak with consecutive lay-ups. Senior guard Lisa Abitante (Brooklyn, N.Y.) added two clutch makes from the line. Two ensuing free ones by Liharevic and one from senior guard Clarissa Jones (Boston, Mass.) eventually sent the match into the extra period. Just over a minute into overtime, the Lions led 57-54 off free throws by Abitante and Jones. Woodberry put the contest away for good with a lay-up at the 35-second juncture off a feed from sophomore forward Molly Dreyer (Floral Park, N.Y.).

Overall, Molloy shot 42.6 percent (23-of-54) from the floor. Woodberry finished up with 25 points, 12 boards and five steals. Wheeler and senior forward E.J. Dreyer (Floral Park, N.Y.) swiped five steals. Wheeler also swatted away nine blocks, while Dreyer took away five steals. Abitante registered six points, four rebounds, three assists and a pair of steals. Aside from Sloper, STAC was led by sophomore guard Sylvia Davis (St. Albans, N.Y.), who totaled nine points, five assists and five steals. Liharevic had six points, five boards and a pair of steals.

Head Coach Tim O’Hagan and the Lions continue their three-game road trip this Saturday when they travel up Interstate-95 to Bridgeport, Conn. for an afternoon matinee at ECC rival University of Bridgeport. Tip-off is scheduled for 1 p.m.