',
Women’s Hoops Wins Thriller over SUNYIT
January 26, 2013
Junior Jessica Bandrowski scored a career-high 34 points and added 8 rebounds, 6 steals and 4 assists as Keuka rallied from a nine-point deficit to knock off rival SUNYIT, 102-98 in overtime Saturday afternoon (photo courtesy of Ed Webber, Keuka College Sports Information Department).
SUNYIT and Keuka College have plenty of history in women’s basketball, and Saturday afternoon inside the Weed Physical Arts Center, the two squads added another chapter to a storied rivalry.
A year after sweeping all three matchups with their rivals from SUNYIT, including a double-digit rally to claim the North Eastern Athletic Conference’s (NEAC) postseason championship, Keuka needed overtime, but a career game from junior Jessica Bandrowski (Center Moriches, NY/Center Moriches) along with placing six student-athletes in double-figures led the Storm to a 102-98 win over SUNYIT.
It was the most points the Storm have scored since a 101-35 home win over Practical Bible College during the 1993-94 season.
Bandrowski scored a career-high 34 points and added 8 rebounds, 6 steals and 4 assists, while sophomore Erica Pendrak (Utica, NY/New York Mills) had 18 points, 7 assists and 4 rebounds as Keuka (12-2, 9-1 NEAC) won its sixth straight NEAC contest while snapping SUNYIT’s (8-6, 6-2 NEAC) six-game conference winning streak.
Senior Mariah Mouzon (Elmira, NY/Elmira Free Academy) recorded her third straight double-double, and sixth of the season, with 12 rebounds and 10 points, while junior Casey Chamberlain (Perry, NY/Perry) added 12 points and eight rebounds for Keuka, which out-rebounded SUNYIT 54-47 inside the Weed Physical Arts Center.
Junior Danielle Gravel (Sidney, NY/Sidney) scored all 12 of her points in the second half and overtime and added four steals, while sophomore Brittany Hadley (Jasper, NY/Jasper-Troupsburg) had 13 points and four rebounds for the Green and Gold.
All square at 90 heading into OT, Bandrowski hit a layup and Chamberlain went 1-for-2 on free throws as the Storm led 93-91 35 seconds into OT. Gravel made a layup for a four-point lead, but Lyndsey Brognano (26 points) made a pair of free throws to slice the lead to 95-93.
The schools traded buckets before Bandrowski hit a pair of free throws and added a steal and a fast-break layup for a 101-95 lead with 22 seconds remaining.
Following a ‘3’ from Brognano, Bandrowski went 1-for-2 at the free-throw line for a four-point lead, and SUNYIT missed a three-pointer as Keuka remained in first place in the North Division.
The Storm trailed 4-0 early on, but Chamberlain sunk a ‘3’ to tie the game at 5. Trailing 10-7, Bandrowski buried a ‘3’ to even the score at 10, and then she converted a three-point play for a 13-12 lead.
Hadley knocked down a triple to tie the score at 18, and Bandrowski had two baskets as Keuka took a 26-22 lead.
The lead grew to seven, 29-22, after sophomore Amanda Kubitz (Spencerport, NY/E.J. Wilson) made a ‘3’, but SUNYIT hung around and only trailed 31-30 until Mouzon made a pair of free throws, Bandrowski made a basket and Pendrak made a ‘3’ for a 38-32 lead with 4:53 remaining.
Bandrowski pushed the lead to six, 40-34 on a fast-break basket, but IT closed out the half on a 12-0 run and took a 46-40 lead into halftime.
IT’s lead grew to 49-40 before Mouzon and Bandrowski made layups and Chamberlain converted a three-point play to cap a 7-0 run.
The Storm trailed by as many as nine points in the second half, including 72-63 on a Brognano ‘3’, but Hadley made a layup and Pendrak knocked down a ‘3’ and a fastbreak layup as Keuka pulled within 73-70 with 8:20 remaining in regulation.
IT capped an 11-6 spurt with a Kayla McNeil lay-in for an 84-76 edge with 5:52 remaining, but Bandrowski scored six points, Pendrak swished a pair of free throws and Chamberlain buried a ‘3’ to pull Keuka within 88-87 with 3:02 remaining.
Mouzon went 2-for-2 on free throws for an 89-88 lead, but IT reclaimed the lead when Abbey Hanahan made a pair of free throws with 37 seconds remaining. Bandrowski knotted the score on a free throw with 29 seconds left, but neither team could clinch the win in regulation.
The Storm hosts SUNY Cobleskill at 1 p.m. Sunday afternoon inside the Weed. Live stats are available at www.KeukaStorm.com/live-stats.
