Dec. 9, 2010

Box Score

Flushing, N.Y. - The Adelphi University women's basketball team traveled to Fitzgerald Gymnasium earlier this evening to take on Queens College in a non-league affair. Adelphi shot a staggering 53-percent from downtown, holding Queens to 31-percent from the field, as they cruised to a 78-62 win over the Knights. With the win Adelphi evens their mark to 4-4 overall while the Knights drop to 3-7.

Adelphi was led by senior Ashley Caiafa who recorded a game-high with 24 points, while her teammate sophomore Kara Tancredi recorded a double-double with 21 points and 10 rebounds. Freshman Jessica Kitrys had nine points to go along with 10 rebounds. Amanda Bartlett led the Knights with 21 points as Christine Harnishfeger recorded 17 points.

The Panthers tied the game at 8-8 on a bucket by junior Amanda Campusano's jumper and then took a 10-8 lead on a Kitrys two-pointer with 14:54 to go in the first. Since the Kitrys bucket, Adelphi was in cruise control the rest of the way, never looking back.

Caiafa scored 19 first half points as she shot 8-of-10 from the field, including 4-of-5 from downtown. Adelphi who trailed 8-6, went on sizzling 16-8 run, to take a 22-16 advantage with 10:43 on the clock. During the stretch, Caiafa netted seven and Campusano scored five. After a timeout called by Queens College, the Panthers were firing from all cylinders on the court, widening the gap to a game-high of 23 points, 39-16, with 5:44 on the clock.

Sophomore Samantha Briedenbach and Caiafa converted on back-to-back jumpers as Adelphi extended to a 26-16 lead. Junior Erika Cottle's 18-foot pull-up and treys by freshman Sade Jackson and Caiafa gave the Panthers their largest lead of the evening. The Knights' responded with 9-2 run heading into intermission as Bartlett led Queens with five points Adelphi held Queens to 32-percent on the floor, 29-percent from three-point range, while shooting 56-percent in the first-half.

Adelphi answered the bell in the second half as Queens attempted to crawl back in the contest. The Knights got as close within single-digits to seven points. Jessica Fairweather's three-ball cut the lead to 54-47, with 11:32 shown in regulation, but six consecutive free throws by Kitrys, Cottle, and sophomore Alexis Williams, increased the margin back up to 13, 60-47. After Queens sank another three-pointer to get within ten with 7:01, Cottle answered back on Adelphi ensuing possession with a three from the top of the arc.

The Panthers look to extend their winning streak to three as they travel to Oakdale, New York to take on Dowling College on Saturday, December 18 at 1:00 p.m.