Worcester, Mass. - The Adelphi University women's basketball team pulled out a nail-biter in its return to Northeast-10 Conference play on Wednesday.
Having led by as much as 13 in the first half, the Panthers (8-6, 5-2 NE10) held off a dogged effort from the Assumption College Greyhounds (10-5, 5-3 NE10) late in the game to come away with a 61-56 victory in their first cross-divisional game of the season.
Assumption out-scored Adelphi 12-5 over the first 8:24 of the final period to knot the game at 56-56, but after
Niajah Morgan split the defenders for two down the other end, the home team had a chance to tie once more or go ahead with less than 30 seconds to play.
Brianna Capacchione missed her first attempt at the game-tying layup, but the Greyhounds retained possession as the ball deflected out of bounds with just two seconds remaining on the shot clock.
Capacchione hurled up another desperate attempt off the inbounds, but
Leonie Edringer ultimately corralled the rebound on the second chance, her ninth for the contest, and she and
Emily Miccile combined to put the game on ice at the free throw line.
The redshirt junior continued her recent scoring tear, notching 20-plus points for the fourth time in the past seven games with a career-high 23. She shot 11-for-17 from the floor, and was joined in double-figures by Morgan, who scored her second straight double-double with 18 points and a game-high 11 rebounds.
Assumption's Jordan Hawkins paced her team in scoring in the loss, while Capacchione recorded a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
Adelphi's first-half lead came thanks to torrid starts in the first and second quarters, as the Brown and Gold scored 18 of the first 25 points of the game, and the first seven of the second period to build a game-high 27-14 edge with 6:57 to go until halftime.
After embarking a 15-6 scoring run to the end of the period, Assumption later scored the first five of the third to take its first and only lead of the contest at 35-34, before the Panthers went back ahead thanks to a 10-0 scoring run of their own.
The Panthers return home on Saturday for an NE10 tilt with Saint Anselm College. Tip-off time is set for 1:30 p.m., and the first 100 fans in attendance will receive a free Adelphi-branded tote bag.
About Adelphi Athletics
A regionally and nationally competitive NCAA Division II institution located in Garden City, N.Y., Adelphi University has been a proud member of the Northeast-10 Conference since 2009.
Winners of 16 NCAA Division II National Championships and four NE10 Presidents' Cups, Panther athletes have excelled at the conference, regional and national level, both on the field of play and in the classroom. In turn, the Adelphi athletic department is committed to fostering an environment of diversity, inclusion, equity and success where its student-athletes can thrive both on campus and off.
Stay connected with Adelphi Athletics by following the Panthers at
aupanthers.com or via social media on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and wear your Panther pride by shopping official Adelphi Panthers gear at
our licensed team store.
