Dec. 9, 2006

Box Score

Sparkill, N.Y. - The Adelphi University women's basketball team suffered its first conference loss of the season at the hands of St. Thomas Aquinas, 78-74, on Saturday afternoon. The Panthers fall to 3-3 on the season and 2-1 in league play.

Junior Mary Lepore recorded a game-high 19 points off the bench, including 9-of-14 from the free throw line along with a game-high nine rebounds. Junior Gianna Smith had 18 points and seven rebounds while graduate student Dana Petersen added 16 points.

Smith scored four of Adelphi first six points to give the Panthers an early 6-2 advantage. However, this would prove to be the only lead for Adelphi as STAC rallied on a 15-4 run over the next five minutes. The largest deficit of the half, 34-21, came with 5:27 remaining. The Lady Spartans kept the Panthers out of range for the remainder of the half, taking a 44-33 lead into the locker room.

STAC pushed its lead to 15 points, 52-37, in the opening minutes of the second half. Sophomore Lisa Manetta hit a three-point basket at 15:52 to spark a 10-2 Panther run. STAC managed to keep a double-digit lead through 7:48 when Adelphi again fought back. Lepore accounted for five of the next 12 points to close to within five points, 69-64, with 5:24 in regulation. But Adelphi struggled down the stretch, connecting on just 3-of-9 from the field in the final minutes as STAC held on for the win.

The Lady Spartans had five players in double figures led by Erika Ostrove with 18 points, including 10-of-11 from the charity stripe. Takiyah Ingram had 13 points and five assists.

The Panthers return to non-conference action on Monday, December 11, as they head to Pleasantville, New York to take on Pace University at 7:00 p.m.