Jan. 18, 2010

Box Score

Garden City, N.Y. - The Adelphi University women's basketball team played host to Long Island rival Dowling College on Monday, January 18. The Panthers trailed by nine at the half, but outscored the Golden Lions, 26-17 in the second and then 7-6 in overtime to pull out a 66-65 victory. With the win Adelphi snaps a six game losing streak and improve to 3-13 overall, while Dowling falls to 11-4.

Alexis Williams led all players with 17 points and added seven rebounds, while both Ashley Caiafa and Theresa Foley scored 14. Foley also grabbed 12 misses, while Erika Cottle chipped in 12 points.

The visitor's came out hot, using the first eight minutes of action to build a 20-7 lead behind six points from Janika Sundstrom and five points from Seja Gamble. Adelphi battled back, pulling to within five on two Samantha Breidenbach made free throws to cut the score to 20-15, capping a 8-0 run.

However, Dowling went on another run, 14-2, to take their largest lead of the night, 34-17, on a Christie Marrone triple. Adelphi again clawed back, pulling to within five one more time, with 1:30 left in the half on a Theresa Foley make, but would enter the locker room down nine, 42-33.

The second half was all Adelphi, as the Panthers held Dowling to just 23 percent shooting from the field and 10 percent from behind the line. The Panthers immediately chipped away at the lead, opening the action with a 10-4 run, to pull within three points 46-43, with 14:37 remaining.

A, 6-0 spurt from Dowling pushed the lead back to nine points, 52-43, but another Adelphi counter made it a two point game, 52-50 with 5:47 remaining. The Golden Lions remained ahead, 54-42 with 3:45 to play, but Ashley Caiafa three pointer with 2:27 on the clock gave the Panthers their first lead of the night, 55-54.

Gamble answered back for the Golden Lions, just 24 seconds later, but a Foley jumper with 1:40 left put the host's ahead by one, 57-56. The Panthers extended the lead to three points, 59-56 on an Alexis Williams lay-up with 58 ticks left in the game.

With 10 seconds left in the action and Adelphi leading by three Caiafa stepped to the line with a chance to ice the game, however she missed the front end of a one and one and Dowling Connie Simmons collected the rebound. With just one second left on the clock Marrone hit a fall away three pointer to knot the game and send it into overtime.

Overtime was another back and forth affair that saw the visitor's holding a three point lead, 63-60, with 2:53 left. But, another Williams lay-up cut the lead to one, 63-62 and then the two teams traded points, giving Dowling a one point edge with 38 ticks left. Foley, for the second time in less then two minutes gave Adelphi the lead with a made jumper, this time for good, helping the Panthers to a 66-65 win.

Adelphi returns to action on Wednesday, January 20 when they travel to Waltham, Massachusetts for a 5:30 pm meeting with Bentley College.