February 7, 2009
WBB: HOLDEN'S CAREER-HIGH LIFTS LE MOYNE PAST SOUTHERN CONNECTICUT,
57-45
Syracuse, N.Y. - Behind senior Vanessa Holden's
(Suffern, N.Y./Immaculate Heart (N.J.))
career-high 27 points, the Le Moyne College women's basketball team
pulled away from Southern Connecticut, 57-45, in Northeast-10
Conference action at Ted Grant Court. The win was Le Moyne's fifth
in six games and their first against Southern Connecticut in seven
years.
Holden set a career-high for the second straight game. She followed
her 22-point performance on Wednesday with 27 points on 9-of-16
shooting from the field. She narrowly missed her sixth
double-double of the season, finishing with nine rebounds. Junior
Courtney Coryea (Mooers Forks, N.Y./Northeast
Clinton) netted nine and led all rebounders with 15 on the
afternoon, the eighth time this season she's finished with
double-digit boards. Coryea (5) and Holden (4) combined to block
nine shots for the Dolphins. Junior Siobhan Shields (Mason,
N.H./St. Bernard's Central Catholic) tied her career-high
with eight points. She's scored eight points four times in the last
five games. Sophomore Danielle Felice (Adams, N.Y./South
Jefferson) scored seven off of the bench and dished out a
game-high five assists.
Le Moyne trailed by one, 21-20, at the half and stayed in the game
thanks to Holden, who scored eight of the team's first 12
second-half points. For a nine-minute stretch, the seesaw game
stayed within three points, featuring five lead changes and one
tie. The Dolphins clung to a two-point lead with 7:30 to play
when junior Meg Murphy (Clinton Corners,
N.Y./Millbrook) buried a crucial three-pointer to open a
five-point lead. Southern Connecticut trimmed the deficit to three
on its next trip down the court but Le Moyne responded with an 8-0
run to put the game out of reach. Coryea (4) and Holden (4)
accounted for all of the points during the spurt. As a team, the
Dolphins hit eight free-throws over the final 1:37 to ice the
12-point win.
The game was a back-and-forth defensive battle in the first half,
with the lead changing hands seven times. The Dolphins collected
five steals, swatted five shots and forced 12 turnovers in the
opening 20 minutes. But the Owls mustered the one-point halftime
edge thanks to a defense that forced 13 turnovers and limited the
Dolphins' offense to 26.1 percent first-half shooting.
Southern Connecticut was led by Allyson Smith's 16 points. Sarah
Schicher packed the stat sheet for the Owls with 10 points, seven
boards, four blocks and three steals. Jacqueline Johannes paced
Southern Connecticut in rebounds and assists, with 10 and four
respectively.
Le Moyne (13-10, NE-10 10-8) sits a half-game ahead of The College
of Saint Rose in the seventh spot of the Northeast-10 Conference
standings. The Dolphins travel to face the Golden Knights Tuesday
at 5:30 p.m. in Albany.
-agate-
Le Moyne 57, So.
Connecticut St. 45
So. Connecticut St. (6-16, NE-10 3-14)
21 24
- 45
Le Moyne (13-10, NE-10 10-8)
20
37 - 57
