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Basketball Opens NEAC Play Wednesday
December 4, 2012
Brittany Hadley (left) and Adam Starks (right) lead Keuka's basketball teams into Wednesday night's NEAC openers vs. Morrisville State at Keuka (photo courtesy of Erik Holmes, Keuka College Sports Information Department).
Keuka College’s basketball teams will begin North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) play Wednesday night, when rival Morrisville State comes to the Weed Physical Arts Center.
The Storm women (3-1), who have won the NEAC postseason championship four of the last six years, welcomes the Mustangs (0-6) to campus for a 6 p.m. contest. The Storm men (0-5) play host to defending NEAC champion Morrisville State (3-3) at 8 p.m.
These NEAC openers also represent the last two home games before the semester break, and the last chance to catch the Storm in action this year. Admission to both games is free. Fans can access live stats by visiting www.KeukaStorm.com/live-stats.
Junior Danielle Gravel (Sidney, NY/Sidney) scored 20 points and had 5 assists as the Storm rallied from a 15-point first-half deficit to knock off Hilbert College in overtime, 75-67 in Keuka’s most recent contest, Nov. 26.
Five different student-athletes scored in double figures for the Storm, led by Gravel’s season-most 20 points.
Senior Mariah Mouzon (Elmira, NY/Elmira Free Academy), the reigning Keuka Female Athlete of the Week, recorded her first double-double of the season with 16 points and 10 rebounds.
Sophomore Brittany Hadley (Jasper, NY/Jasper-Troupsburg) added 11 points while junior Jessica Bandrowski (Center Moriches, NY/Center Moriches) and Erica Pendrak (Utica, NY/New York Mills) each chipped in with 10 points for the Green and Gold.
Junior Taylor Szwec (Candor, NY/Candor) added 12 rebounds and six points while Gravel had four steals for Keuka, which allowed Hilbert (2-3) to shoot 14-for-29 (48.3 percent) in the first half, but only 9-for-39 (23.1 percent) in the second half and overtime.
The Storm trailed 55-46 in the second half before Gravel scored four points and Pendrak added a basket for a 6-0 run.
Pendrak’s ‘3’ pulled Keuka within 58-57, then the Storm took their first lead of the game when Mouzon collected a miss and converted the putback for a 59-58 lead.
Jessica Jamison knocked down a ‘3’ for a 61-59 lead, but with 23 seconds left in regulation, Hadley came up with a block and Mouzon once again had an offensive rebound and a basket to send the game to overtime tied at 61.
In the overtime, Hilbert led 62-61 before Gravel made a layup for a one-point lead. Natalie Whitman put the Hawks ahead 63-62 before Pendrak made a layup and Gravel swished a pair of free throws that started a 10-for-10 effort at the line in overtime.
Gravel and Szwec each went 4-for-4 while Pendrak was 2-for-2 at the line in the extra session as the Storm won their third straight.
Morrisville State has eclipsed 50 points only once this year, during a 53-51 setback vs. Bard College. Over its last three games, Morrisville State has been outscored 192-96.
Nijee Scott leads Morrisville State in scoring average (8.8 ppg.) and rebounding (7.2 rpg.).
Keuka swept the Mustangs by scores of 63-50 and 67-51 during the 2011-12 season and has won the last six meetings with Morrisville State.
On the men’s side, senior Conor Boyer (East Rochester, NY/East Rochester), Keuka’s reigning Male Athlete of the Week, posted his first career double-double in Friday night’s 73-40 setback at Hartwick College.
Boyer scored 12 points with a career-high 13 rebounds, including a game-high eight offensive rebounds, and sophomore Adam Starks (Wellsville, NY/Andover) added a career-high 11 points in the loss for the Storm (0-5).
Sophomore Tyler Hixson (Shortsville, NY/Red Jacket) added five rebounds for Keuka, which was held to 26.8 percent shooting from the field (15-for-56).
For the season, senior Teddy Tuggles (Rochester, NY/Gates Chili) leads Keuka in scoring (12.4 ppg.), assists (1.8 apg.) and steals (1.0 spg.), and is third in rebounding (4.2 rpg.).
Six different student-athletes are averaging at least 5.5 points per game: Starks (7.2 ppg.), freshman Casey Williams (Syracuse, NY/Jamesville-DeWitt) at 6.4 ppg., Boyer (6.2 ppg.), Hixson (6 ppg.) and sophomore Jared Wagner (Pittsford, NY/McQuaid) at 5.8 ppg.
Despite losing NEAC Player of the Year Mickey Davis (17.5 ppg., 6.3 rpg., 1.5 apg., 1.6 steals per game), the Mustangs feature plenty of firepower and average 79.3 ppg.
Kucjok Ater ranks fifth in the NEAC in scoring average (14.2 ppg.), one of three student-athletes averaging in double-figures. Jailaan Kinsey (11.5 ppg.), Brandon Hanks (10.5 ppg.) and Rhamel Williams (9.7 ppg.) pace a potent attack.
Keuka, which has lost the last two games to Morrisville State, last defeated the Mustangs 73-59 on Jan. 22, 2011.
