ALBANY- Freshman guard
Ashley Vanderwall drilled a deep 3-pointer with one second remaining on Wednesday night to force overtime, however The College of Saint Rose was ultimately outlasted in two overtimes, 76-70, by
Northeast-10 Conference rival Le Moyne in the
Upstate Challenge at Nolan Gymnasium.
In a game that featured 12 ties and 12 lead changes, Saint Rose (14-8/8-7 NE-10) took a commanding 16-7 lead after the first period. Conversely, Le Moyne (11-10/8-7 NE-10) answered with a 12-2 advantage in the second frame to take a 19-18 lead into the break.
The biggest lead of the second half for either team was four, after a Saint Rose bucket from freshman forward
Karissa Birthwright with 6:23 on the clock in the third.
With 15 seconds remaining in regulation, the Dolphins took a 52-49 lead following two free throws from senior guard Lauren Salzbrenner.
On the ensuing possession, Vanderwall missed on a 3-point attempt with six seconds remaining, but the Golden Knights retained possession on an offensive rebound out of bounds. Next, Vanderwall brought the crowd to its feet with the game-tying three from well beyond the arc.
Each team scored six points in the first overtime, and the Dolphins pulled away down the stretch in the final overtime period.
Birthwright finished with a team-best 17 points on 8-of-9 shooting, and tied her season high with 10 rebounds for her first career "double-double".
Junior forward
Staci Barrett tossed in 16 points, while junior guard
Taylor Nazon totaled 10 points, seven assists and two steals. Vanderwall went 3-for-5 from deep and finished with 13 points, five rebounds, two blocks and two assists.
At halftime of tonight's game, some 50 student-athletes were honored for their outstanding athletic achievement. Furthermore, nearly 150 Saint Rose student-athletes were recognized during halftime of the men's game for their outstanding academic achievements throughout the past year.
Looking ahead, Saint Rose is back home Saturday for its annual Coaches vs. Cancer and PinkZone celebration. The Golden Knights will take on New Haven in the first half of an NE-10 doubleheader. Tip-off is scheduled for 1:30 pm. Meanwhile, the Dolphins will head to Springfield to take on conference foe American International.
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