March 1, 2008

Box Score

Garden City, N.Y. - Senior Gianna Smith (Hempstead, N.Y.) moved into second place in the women's basketball record book as its second all-time leading scorer with a 12 point effort en route to a 55-52 win for Adelphi over C.W. Post tonight at Woodruff Hall. The Panthers finish the regular season with a 14-13 record and 12-8 in the ECC which will give them the #5 seed going into next week's ECC Tournament.

Smith scored just once in the first half and it came at the 5:48 mark as she notched her 1,520th point, surpassing the 1,519 points of Kendra Koneski set in 1996. "I always told Gianna she was going to be fabulous, but even I didn't know how true that would be," Head Coach Kelley Watts said. "How fitting that it would happen on senior day in our last ever game in Woodruff Hall."

C.W. Post got on board first, taking a quick 3-1 lead at 18:21. Senior Mary Lepore (Manhasset, N.Y.), who tallied 11 of her team-high 13 points in the first half, hit the layup to spark a 17-6 Panther run. With the Panthers up 18-9, the Pioneers rattled off six unanswered points to close the gap to three, 18-15, at 9:17, on a jumper by Bashimah Thompson. But Adelphi would stay ahead, including a 6-for-8 effort from the charity stripe in the remaining minutes to take a 32-24 lead into the lockerroom at the end of the first half.

Adelphi maintained a seven point lead through the opening minutes of the second half. C.W. Post took advantage of a shooting slump and went on a 7-0 run to knot the score at 35 with 11:17 on the clock. The Panthers held on, but the Pioneers took the lead, 40-39, on a three-pointer by Emily Hall at 9;10. C.W. Post went up by four, 48-44, with 4:11 left in regulation. Junior Jasmine Travers (Gaitersburg, Md.), collected four of her 10 points with hit back-to-back baskets on a 4-1 run to make it a one point game. Smith's jumper at the one minute mark put the Panthers up for good, 50-49.

Up by four with eight seconds to go, C.W. Post's Gina Catherall hit the tre to gave Adelphi a scare, but junior Danielle Parks (Galloway, N.J.) sealed the deal with two free throws.

"The crowd really got into the game," Coach Watts said. "It was a great win for us. Our seniors played well and Jasmine [Travers] was outstanding."

Adelphi held a 34-29 rebound advantage led by junior Serita Lee (Freeport, N.Y.) with eight boards to go along with eight points.

The Pioneers were led by Whitney Murrer with 19 points and 12 rebounds.

The Panthers return to action on Wednesday, March 5, in the first round of the ECC playoffs. They are tentatively slated to face the University of Bridgeport. Game time to be determined.

Provost Marcia Welsh, Gianna Smith, Kendra Koneski and AD Robert Hartwell.