Nov. 21, 2006

Box Score

Garden City, N.Y. - Junior Gianna Smith poured in a career-high 28 points, including 9-of-16 from the field, to lead the Adelphi University women's basketball team to a 78-76 victory over Merrimack College on Tuesday night at Woodruff Hall. The Panthers improve to 1-2 while the Warriors fall to 1-1.

Smith led an Adelphi team that had four players in double figures which included sophomore Lisa Manetta with 11 points and six steals. Senior Betty Mendieta and freshman Christina Rivera chipped in ten points a piece with Mendieta adding seveng boards. Sophomore Serita Lee pulled down a career-high 14 rebounds to go along with nine points.

Merrimack jumped out to an early seven point lead, 13-6, at 14;42 in the first half. Sophomore Lisa Manetta drained a three-pointer than assisted on the next basket by Rivera to cut the deficit to two. The Warriors pushed the lead back to six points on two made free throws by Amanda Shannon at 11:46. Graduate student Valentina Ionova collected four of the next seven Adelphi points to give the host its first lead of the night, 18-17, at 10:16. After several lead changes and seven ties, the Panthers took the lead for good at 4:41, as Smith tallied six of her 14 points in the remaining minutes of the half. Adelphi led 40-36 at intermission.

The Warriors opened on a 5-2 run to close to within one, but the Panthers answered with 17-9 rally capped by a Smith jumper to lead 59-50 with 9:25 left in regulation. Merrimack never relented and began to chip away at the Adelphi lead to make it a one-point game, 64-63, at 6:49. AU again pushed its advantage back to seven points, as Merrimack continued to challange. Smith and Manetta combined for the final eight Adelphi points all coming from the free throw line as the Panthers hold on for a 78-76 win.

The Warriors also had four players in double figures led by Casey Miller with 21 points and seven rebounds. Kara Borelli had 13 points and 10 rebounds.

The Panthers return to action on Wednesday, November 29, as they open their conference schedule at home, hosting NYIT at 5:30 p.m.