MARCY, N.Y.- The SUNYIT Women's basketball team (18-6, 13-2 NEAC) came up just short to the NEAC's #1 ranked Lancaster Bible College Chargers (20-5, 16-0) 61-56 Friday Night.
Despite the defeat, the Wildcats were still able to celebrate as senior guard Abbey Hanehan (Stillwater, N.Y.) scored her 1,000th career point. The tremendous milestone came late in the second half with the hosts trailing by just 4 points. Hanehan received a pass from Emily Alicea (Mohegan Lake, N.Y. / Lakeland), stepped up and drained a 3-pointer from the left wing to pull her team within one point while also giving her exactly 1,000 points for her career. Knowing the significance, the crowd erupted after the basket, and at the next time out chants of "Ab-bey Hanehan" could be heard throughout the Campus Center. Hanehan fought all game for the Wildcats as she tallied 21 points to go along with 11 rebounds, both team highs.
You wouldn't have guessed the game's outcome from the first 9 minutes, as the Wildcats jumped out to an incredible 20-4 lead with 11:43 remaining in the first half. From there, however, the Chargers battled back, and closed the half down just six, 37-31.
With 17:04 to go in the second half, the Chargers took their first lead of the game on a three-pointer by Brooklyn Wilson. Wilson pulled up in transition from the top of the key, and moments later drilled an almost identical shot to give the Chargers a four-point advantage, 43-39.
Wilson finished the game with 16 points, almost all of which came on threes as the guard knocked down an impressive 5-of-7 from long range.
SUNYIT kept it close but wasn't able to take the lead until moments after Hanehan's monumental three-pointer, as Geena Gallo (Ballston Spa, N.Y. / Ballston Spa) knocked down a short-jumper on the right baseline during SUNYIT's next possession, giving the Wildcats a 56-55 lead with 1:13 to play.
Gallo was the beneficiary of an exceptionally smart pass by the other SUNYIT player honored before Friday night's game as part of Senior Night, team co-captain Jennifer Bullock (Bronx, N.Y. / NYC Museum). Bullock passed up an open three-pointer in transition to find Gallo with space to maneuver on the baseline – space Gallo took advantage of.
SUNYIT's jubilation at finally taking the lead was short-lived, however, as Katy Stover drew a foul on the very next play for Lancaster and coolly sank both free throws to retake the lead. SUNYIT came up empty on their next offensive possession, and would end the game stuck on 56 points as the Chargers were able to salt the game away from the free throw line.
While Hanehan led the way for the Wildcats, Lauren Knowles (Salisbury Mills, N.Y. / Washingtonville) also had a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds, and Gallo finished with 10 points and 6 rebounds despite being limited to only 24 minutes due to foul trouble in the first half.
The Wildcats will wrap up their season on the road, as they travel next to Wells College for a make-up game from earlier in the season. The game is scheduled for Sunday at 2:00 pm.
