Women's Basketball
February 15, 2006
NO 25 AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL HOLDS OFF LE MOYNE 73-69
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Sharmion Selman scored 28 points to lead No. 25 American International to a 73-69 win over Le Moyne in a Northeast-10 Conference women’s basketball game at Butova Gymnasium. AIC moves to 20-5 overall and 15-5 in the Northeast-10 Conference, while Le Moyne drops to 11-14 overall and 7-13 in league play.
Sophomore Kim Wagoner (Cicero, N.Y./Cicero-North Syracuse) scored 14 points, Ann Belforti (Watertown, Conn./Taft) added 12 and senior Maureen Van Vorst (Middletown, N.Y./Minisink Valley) scored a season-high 11 points for Le Moyne. All 12 of Belforti’s points came in the second half where Le Moyne rallied back from an eight-point halftime deficit.
Selman made 9-of-15 shots from the field and 10-of-14 free throws for her game-high 28 points. Krystal Pressley added 16 points to join Selman in double figures for the nationally-ranked Yellow Jackets. AIC forced their visitors into 18 turnovers while committing just seven.
American International’s 34-26 halftime lead came as a result of a half-ending 8-0 run for the hosts. Le Moyne answered with a 6-0 to start the second half and tied the contest two times in the second half, but was never able to gain the lead. Belforti knocked down a 3-pointer at the 14:45 mark to tie the game at 45, but AIC extended its lead back to seven points over the next three minutes. Le Moyne tied the contest again, 60-60, at the 5:45 mark on a conventional 3-point play by Van Vorst. The Yellow Jackets pushed their lead back to five with a 6-1 spurt that was capped by a Selman jumper with 4:01 left that made it 66-61.
Le Moyne cut the lead to one possession on several occasions in the final minutes, but was never able to land the lead. The Dolphins outshot their hosts 47 to 37 percent and held a 43-38 edge on the glass. Freshman Vanessa Holden (Suffern, N.Y./Immaculate Heart) led the way with eight rebounds.
The Dolphins host Pace in their home finale on Saturday at 1 p.m.
COMPLETE BOXSCORE
AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL 73, LE MOYNE 69
LE MOYNE (11-14, 7-13 NE-10)
Kim Wagoner 2-6 9-11 14; Ann Belforti 4-8 0-0 12; Maureen Van Vorst
4-7 3-5 11; Kathleen Gladstone 3-13 0-0 8; Vanessa Holden 3-6 2-2
8; Lindsay Ellis 3-8 2-2 8; Lindsay Carr 4-8 0-0 8; Andrea Pluchino
0-1 0-0 0; Betsy Bordes 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 23-57 16-20 69.
AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL (20-5, 15-5 NE-10)
Sharmion Selman 9-15 10-14 28; Krystal Pressley 7-13 0-0 16; Alissa
Rubino 1-5 4-5 6; Jeanette Johnathan 2-7 0-0 6; Jen Nnanna 3-6 0-0
6; Debbie Sampson 3-7 0-0 6; Tiffany Wooten 0-5 5-6 5; Monique
Lawrence 0-2 0-0 0; Stacy Boisvert 0-4 0-0 0; Jen Moussette 0-3 0-0
0. Totals 25-67 19-25 73.
Le Moyne 26 43 - 69
American International 34 39 - 73
3-point goals-Le Moyne 7-19 (Ann Belforti 4-8; Kathleen Gladstone 2-5; Kim Wagoner 1-3; Lindsay Carr 0-2; Vanessa Holden 0-1), American International 4-19 (Jeanette Johnathan 2-6; Krystal Pressley 2-7; Debbie Sampson 0-2; Tiffany Wooten 0-1; Jen Moussette 0-2; Alissa Rubino 0-1). Fouled out—Le Moyne-Maureen Van Vorst, American International-None. Rebounds-Le Moyne 43 (Vanessa Holden 8), American International 38 (Sharmion Selman 8). Assists-Le Moyne 12 (Lindsay Carr 4), American International 16 (Alissa Rubino 6). Total fouls-Le Moyne 21, American International 17. A-281
AIC ranked No. 25 in latest ESPN/USA Today Top 25
