CAA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL RECAP - NOV. 18
Hofstra 88, Saint Francis (NY) 63
Box Score
Brooklyn Heights, NY - Redshirt sophomore guard Candice Bellocchio broke the single game school record for assists with 14 as she led the Hofstra Women's Basketball team to an 88-63 victory over St. Francis College (NY) on Wednesday evening in the Pope Physical Education Center.
Bellocchio broke the previous mark of 13 set by Liz Irwin during the 1979-80 campaign against Mercy. The tying assist came with 5:37 to play on a pass to freshman forward Shante Evans, while the record-setter occurred with 3:40 remaining on a pass to junior forward Isoken Uzamere.
The win improves Hofstra's record to 2-0 this season, marking its first 2-0 start since the 2004-05 team began 2-0 as well. St. Francis falls to 0-2 with the loss.
Bellocchio is in her third season in a Hofstra uniform as she appeared in 30 games as a freshman in 2007-08 and seven as a sophomore last season before missing the remainder of the season with an injury.
As a Division I institution Hofstra is now 45-9 all-time when scoring 80 or more points and the Pride has now won 14 games when scoring 80 or more points.
With Hofstra leading 9-8 following a jumper from senior guard Sam Brigham at the 14:35 mark of the first half, the Terriers put together a 7-2 run to earn a 15-11 advantage with 12:48 left in the half. The run culminated with a layup from Kendra Williams and forced Hofstra to utilize its first timeout of the contest. It wouldn't take long for the Pride to regain the lead, though, as a basket from freshman guard Candace Bond, followed by a layup from Brigham and a free throw from senior center Jess Fuller gave Hofstra a 16-15 lead nearing the midway point of the half.
The score would be knotted at 19 with under nine minutes to play in the stanza before Hofstra used a 6-0 run to take its largest lead of the half at 25-19 with 6:47 to play. After falling behind 15-11, the run in total would be 14-4 in favor of the Pride. Evans, who was whistled for three fouls in the opening twenty minutes, scored all four of her first half points during the run. The Terriers would rally to tie the game at 27 on a three-pointer from Jacinda Williams before Hofstra held St. Francis scoreless over the final 3:22 of the half, while scoring six points of their own to lead 33-27 at the break.
With Hofstra ahead 44-40 about six minutes into the second half, the Pride would use a 22-5 run to take control of the contest and lead 66-45 following a basket from Bellocchio with 8:39 to play. Bellocchio had four of her record-setting assists during the run to lead the way.
Brigham led Hofstra with 19 points, including 12-15 from the free throw line. The point total was one off her career-high of 20 set against Delaware in February of 2008. Sophomore guard Nicole Capurso added 16 points and a game-high seven rebounds for the Pride, which also got 11 points from Evans.
St. Francis was led by Tiara Dunson's 14 points.
Hofstra returns to action a week from today when they host Albany in a rare Wednesday matinee at 2 p.m. in the Mack Sports Complex. Tickets can be purchased on GoHofstra.com or by calling (516) HOF-TIXX.
James Madison 79, Georgetown 76
Box Score
HARRISONBURG, Va., Nov. 18, 2009 - James Madison (1-0) rallied from a 16-point deficit to beat Georgetown (1-1) 79-76 in the Dukes' season-opening women's basketball game Wednesday night at the JMU Convocation Center.
Dukes' junior guard Dawn Evans (Clarksville, Tenn./Northeast) led all players with 29 points, with seven of those coming in the final minute of the game.
The game was played in front of a crowd of 2,530, a school record for a home season-opening game.
JMU took its first lead of the game at 72-71 when sophomore forward Kanita Shepherd (Garner, N.C./Garner Magnet) hit two free throws with 1:16 left.
Georgetown responded with a three-pointer by freshman guard Ta'Shauna "Sugar" Rodgers (Suffolk, Va./King's Fork), putting the Hoyas up 74-72 with 1:03 to play.
Evans then nailed a three with 45.1 seconds on the clock, giving the Dukes a 75-74 lead that they would not surrender.
Shepherd blocked Rodgers' shot in the paint with 32 seconds left, but the ball went out of bounds with possession awarded to Georgetown. Rodgers missed a three-point attempt with 20 seconds to go, and Evans tipped the ball on the baseline to sophomore guard/forward Kiara Francisco (Lakeland, Fla./Winter Haven). A Georgetown player got a hand on the ball but it flew out of bounds with possession awarded to JMU.
Evans was fouled after JMU in-bounded the ball, and her two foul shots with 17.1 seconds to go put the Dukes ahead 77-74.
Georgetown closed within one as senior guard Shanice Fuller (Chesapeake, Va./Indian River) drove to the basket for a layup to cut the margin to 77-76 with nine seconds remaining.
Evans was again fouled and converted two free throws for a 79-76 advantage.
A three-point attempt by Georgetown sophomore guard Rubylee Wright (Latta, S.C./Latta) with a second remaining missed the mark.
Georgetown led by as many as 16 points in the first half (46-30 at 1:04) and was up by 14 (46-32) at halftime.
The Hoyas were ahead by 11 (56-45) with 11:42 left. Then the Dukes outscored Georgetown 13-4 over a span of 4:03 to get within two, 60-58, at 6:54. Five JMU players scored in the run, which ended with a traditional three-point play by Evans.
Georgetown scored the game's next six points and pulled out to a 66-58 lead on two free throws by Rodgers with 5:49 to go.
JMU then used a 12-4 run to tie the game at 70. Shepherd fed freshman forward Nikki Newman (Harrisonburg, Va./Turner Ashby) for a layup to tie the score with 1:59 to play.
Georgetown senior forward Jaleesa Butler (St. Louis, Mo./Alton-Ill.) was fouled and made one of two foul shots for a 71-70 lead before the Dukes closed out the game, outscoring the Hoyas 9-5 in the final 1:16.
JMU freshman guard Tarik Hislop (Silver Spring, Md./Paint Branch) was the only other Duke in double figures, scoring 10 points. Francisco finished with nine, and Shepherd and junior forward Nichelle Glover (Jacksonville, Fla./Wolfson) each scored eight.
Rodgers led Georgetown with 22 points, and Wright added 15.
Northeastern 66, Delaware State 46
Box Score
DOVER, Del. - Kendra Walton scored 16 points and added seven rebounds while Rachael Pecota scored 12 first half points while the Huskies held Delaware State to just 25.5 percent from the floor to lead Northeastern past Delaware State 66-46 on Wednesday night. It was Delaware State's first home loss in nearly a year.
The Huskies got on the board with a Walton three-pointer at 19:37 and went 4-of-5 to start the game, taking an 11-8 lead. The two teams would remain scoreless for 4:38 until a Jamie Conroy free-throw at 10:05 ended the scoring drought. The Huskies would go scoreless over four minutes and Delaware State would score six straight points to tie the game at 14-14. The Hornets grabbed the lead again on a Alexis Abraham three-pointer to go up 19-16. A Walton three would knot the score at 19 all and a Brittany Wilson three-point play gave the Huskies the lead once again at 22-19. Northeastern would take a 32-26 lead at the half. Pecota's 12 points came on 4-of-6 shooting and 3-of-4 from distance. The Huskies held Delaware State to just seven field goals in the first half.
The Huskies started the second on a 13-2 run in the first 4:30 of the half and would take a 15-point lead at 45-30. Northeastern would extend the lead to as many as 21, shooting 11-for-24 in the half, and would only let Delaware State to within eight points while once again holding the Hornets to just 25 percent shooting from the floor.
Kashaia Cannon finished with 10 points and a career-high five assists while Kim Carr finished with seven points and seven rebounds. Brittany Wilson added nine points and Afreyea Tolbert scored her first career points in the game, ending with four.
The Huskies outrebounded Delaware State 50 to 38 and had 11 steals in the contest.
Northeastern returns to action Saturday, November 21 taking on Rhode Island at Matthews Arena.