ITHACA, N.Y. – The SUNY Poly women's basketball season came to an end on Friday night in the first round of the NCAA Division III National Championship. The Wildcats lost to regional host Ithaca College 58-68. The Wildcats had a fantastic 2018-19 season, finishing 23-6 with a 15-1 NEAC record. The Wildcats won their third NEAC Championship in four years and two Wildcats reached the 1,000 career point milestone.
THE GAME:
The Wildcats got off to a bit of a slow start, shooting just 25% in the first quarter. The second quarter was better offensively for the Wildcats as they shot 63% but Ithaca still had a two point lead in the quarter to take a 36-30 lead into the half. The Third quarter was a lopsided one. The Wildcat offense sputtered allowing the Bombers to extend their lead to 16. The fourth quarter saw the Wildcats start to make a comeback but it was too little too late. The final score of the game was 68-58 in favor of Ithaca who moved on to the round of 32.
NOTABLES:
- Kiersten Leos (Camden, N.Y.) had a team high 18 points in the game. Leos finished her junior season with a career high 477 points. She shot an outstanding 42.2 percent from three-point range and had a career high 72 assists. Her 2018-19 season saw her voted First-Team All-Conference and selected as the NEAC Championship Most Valuable Player. Leos also became a member of the 1,000 point club at SUNY Poly.
- Jaida Washington (Elmira, N.Y.) had a big game for the 'Cats. The junior had a double-double with a game high 15 rebounds and 16 points. Washington also had two blocks and two steals in her first start of the season.
- Molly Burdick (Vestal, N.Y.) had 10 points, seven rebounds, three assists, and three steals in the game. The freshman finished her first season as a Wildcat with a NEAC First-Team selection and was the NEAC Rookie of the year. She scored 448 points this season and led the Wildcats with 38 blocks and 212 rebounds.
- Taylor Aybar (Woodside, N.Y.) had a solid game for the Wildcats. She scored 12 points, had four rebounds, three assists, three steals, and a block. Aybar finished her season with career highs in points with 223, rebounds with 170, and minutes played with 887. Aybar led the Wildcats in assists with 107 and in steals with 77.
- Grace Gannon led the Bobbers with a game high 21 points. She also had six rebounds, a game high four steals, two blocks, and two assists.
- Cassidy O'Malley had 15 points and eight rebounds for Ithaca. She also had two assists, three steals, and a game high three blocks.
SENIOR SPOTLIGHT:
Rylie Smith (St. Johnsville, N.Y.), the Wildcats lone senior wrapped up her career with a very respectable 542 points in two seasons for the Wildcats. She shot 42% in her Wildcat career and was just two three-pointers shy of 100. Smith also had 220 rebounds. Smith hit a career milestone this season, scoring her 1,000th combined point between Fulton-Montgomery Community College and SUNY Poly. Rylie will be graduating from SUNY Poly with a degree in Sociology.