Dec. 10, 2002

Box Score

Garden City, N.Y. - The No. 19 ranked Adelphi University women's basketball team dropped an 87-84 overtime decision to the visiting NYIT Lady Bears, Tuesday night at Woodruff Hall. This is the second loss in three games for the Panthers as they drop to 3-2 overall and 2-2 in the conference. NYIT extends its win streak to four, improving to 4-1 overall and 3-0 in the NYCAC.

In all four Adelphi players scored in double digits, as Jaime Douglas (Stanhope, N.J.) and Jesse Dlabola (Levittown, N.Y.) each had 19 points. Dlabola added a season-high 10 assists along with six steals. Melanie Mangone (Middle Village, N.Y.) added 18 points, while Kerri Kirschbaum (Leonardo, N.J.) chipped in 12 points.

Adelphi jumped out to an early 10-0 lead before NYIT got on board at 14:26 and opened up a comfortable 13 point lead, their biggest of the game, with 7:13 remaining in the half. The Lady Bears rallied back going on a 13-6 run to close to within four with a minute remaining in the half. Both teams would exchange baskets as the Panthers led by five points, 34-29, going into intermission.

NYIT continued to chip away at the Adelphi lead, but were unable to close the gap to more than three points. A key three-pointer by Christina Papadopoulou (Cypress, Greece) brought the Lady Bears to within one point, 54-53, with 7:47 on the clock. Mangone picked up five of the Panthers seven points to open a 63-55 lead. NYIT once again battled back and with only :16 seconds remaining, Eboni Williams (Queens Village, N.Y.) hit the three-pointer to tie the game, 73-73, sending it into overtime.

The Lady Bears realized their first lead of the contest on a 6-3 run. But with :18 second left in the game, the Panthers closed to within one point on a three-point field goal by Kirschbaum. NYIT missed six of its last eight free throws yet managed to hold on for the win, 87-84.

Georgia Gordon (St. Ann, Jamaica) led NYIT with 23 points and 11 rebounds, followed by Tamika Cox (Long Island City, N.Y.) with 15 points and nine rebounds.

The Lady Bears defense controlled the game, outrebounding the Panthers 69-36, but racked up 42 turnovers and shot just 37 percent, 13-for-35 from the line. Adelphi shot 39 percent on the game and was 68.8 percent from the line.

Next up, Adelphi returns to action on Saturday, hosting Dowling College at 7:00 p.m.