Athletics
Saint Michael's
Mass.-Lowell
Saint Michael's
Franklin Pierce
Women's Basketball
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February 23, 2009
Quinn's Buzzer-Beater Lifts Women's Basketball Past Pace, 57-56
PURPLE KNIGHTS EARN DRAMATIC WINS VERSUS PACE IN BASKETBALL DOUBLEHEADER
SMC women win thriller at buzzer, 57-56; late 3-pointer lifts SMC men past Pace, 54-53
Watch video of women's buzzer-beating finish: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oq2ZEOl2Wy4
Women's box score: http://www.smcathletics.com/sports/wbkb/2008-09/stats/wbpacstm.htm
Men's box score: http://www.smcathletics.com/sports/mbkb/2008-09/stats/mbpacstm.htm
COLCHESTER, Vt. ? Saint Michael's College ended the regular season by earning a pair of dramatic one-point victories versus Pace University in a Northeast-10 Conference basketball doubleheader on Monday at the Ross Sports Center. In the opener, the Saint Michael's women (14-12, 11-11 NE-10) won in thrilling fashion, 57-56, and in the nightcap, the Saint Michael's men (10-15, 7-15 NE-10) also rallied for a one-point win, 54-53.
In the women's contest, freshman Caitlin Quinn (Oakdale, Conn./Montville) banked in a 25-footer at the buzzer, the Purple Knights' only lead of the second half, giving Saint Michael's the thrilling victory. With the win, Saint Michael's enters the NE-10 Tournament as either the ninth seed or 10th seed, depending on outcomes from league contests tomorrow (Tuesday), and will play a First Round game on Sunday against either the seventh seed or the eighth seed. The victory also clinches Saint Michael's first winning season since 2005-06.
For Saint Michael's, junior Michelle Otey Southborough, Mass./Algonquin Regional) scored a career-high 24 points, making 10-of-20 shots from the field, and added nine rebounds. Sophomore Logan Pintka (Niskayuna, N.Y./Colonie Central) added 13 points, making 5-of-6 free throws, while junior Alexis Keller Harrington Park, N.J./Old Tappan) scored nine of her 12 points in the second half. Senior Anna Florent (Fort Wayne, Ind./Snider) grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds in the final home game of her career, setting a new career high, as the Purple Knights held a 44-38 rebounding advantage.
For Pace (16-10, 13-9 NE-10), graduate student Shiesha McCollum (Newburgh, N.Y.) tallied a team-best 14 points and nine rebounds off the bench, while sophomore Brittany Huggins (Windsor, Conn.) added 14 points and two steals, also off the bench. Freshman Brittany Shields (Cold Spring, N.Y.) chipped in with 10 points and six rebounds in the loss, which eliminates the Setters from earning a top-four seed in the NE-10 Tournament, meaning that Pace will host a First Round playoff game on Sunday against an opponent yet to be determined.
The Setters led for the majority of the contest, but poor foul shooting in the closing minutes kept Saint Michael's in the contest. Pace missed three straight free throws, including the front end of two 1-and-1's while ahead 51-47 in the final 90 seconds of play. The Setters still led 55-51 after two Huggins' free throws with 16 seconds left, but a Keller 3-pointer with 5.8 seconds remaining cut the Purple Knights' deficit to 55-54. After Huggins made 1-of-2 at the foul line with 3.9 seconds to go, the Purple Knights went the length of the court, with junior Meg O'Shea (West Sand Lake, N.Y./Averill Park) passing to Quinn for the game-winning basket.
In the men's game, sophomore Chris Hurley (Watertown, Mass./Boston College HS) drained a 3-pointer with six seconds left in regulation, lifting Saint Michael's to the exciting win versus pace. Freshman Tyler Schilling (Excelsior, Minn./Minnetonka) led a balanced scoring attack with a game-high 13 points and a career-best 19 rebounds, playing all 40 minutes. Classmate Sam Cieplicki (South Burlington, Vt./New Hampton School) added 11 points off the bench. The Purple Knights held a commanding 51-29 rebounding advantage offsetting 16 turnovers and 7-of-28 shooting from beyond the arc.
For Pace (9-18, 7-15 NE-10), junior Laurence McGhee (Linden, N.J.) was the only player to score in double figures, tallying a team-best 11 points, four assists and three steals. Classmate Carlos Howard (Fort Washington, Md.) and freshman Adrian Mills (Woodbridge, Va.) added nine points apiece for the Setters.
Neither team led by more than four points in the tightly-contested contest until a McGhee free throw with 36 seconds to go gave Pace a 53-48 lead. That was the final point Pace would score, however. A 3-point play by Schilling with 20 seconds to go cut Saint Michael's deficit to 53-51, and Pace missed the front end of a 1-and-1 with 14 ticks to play, setting the stage for Hurley's heroics. He received a pass in the left corner from sophomore Nate Birr (Burnsville, Minn./Saint Thomas Academy) and drained the trifecta for the th13 lead change of the contest, and a 3-pointer at the buzzer by Pace freshman Ryan Woods (Staten Island, N.Y.) went off the front rim.
The men's game was the final home contest for three Saint Michael's seniors: Mike Iola (West Newbury, Mass./Pentucket Regional), Chris White (Salem, N.H./Windham), and Jon Zylstra (Uxbridge, Mass./Whitinsville Christian School).
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