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Mouzon, Bandrowski Named Athletes of the Week
February 25, 2013
Senior Mariah Mouzon (Elmira, NY/Elmira Free Academy) and junior Jessica Bandrowski (Center Moriches, NY/Center Moriches) helped the Keuka College women’s basketball team win the North Eastern Athletic Conference’s (NEAC) North Division championship and earn a spot in the NEAC’s championship game, and on Monday, Mouzon and Bandrowski were honored as Keuka’s Athletes of the Week.
Mouzon averaged 12.5 points and 5.5 rebounds over two NEAC playoff games as the Storm (20-4) defeated Penn State-Harrisburg 81-68 in the semifinals before falling to host Lancaster Bible College 67-63 in the title game.
It was Keuka’s first loss in seven NEAC championship game appearances, and just the Storm’s third loss in 21 NEAC postseason games.
The forward, a third-team All-NEAC selection, recorded back-to-back games scoring in double-figures, the 18th time this year she scored in double-figures.
Mouzon scored 12 points on 6-of-12 shooting and snared six rebounds, including four offensive boards, during the semifinals as the Green and Gold won their 13th straight game against NEAC foes dating to the regular season.
Facing Lancaster Bible in the championship, the Storm surged out to a 9-2 lead as Mouzon hit a layup and a free throw, but the Chargers, the only NEAC team to beat Keuka this year, answered with a 9-0 run and led 11-9.
Keuka would lead by as many as 12 points in the second half, but Lancaster used a 24-10 run to keep it close and tied the game at 55 with five minutes remaining.
The Green and Gold trailed 61-60 after Heliger connected on a three-pointer with 3:10 remaining, but Mouzon scored a layup off a nice feed from Chamberlain for a 62-61 lead with 2:51 to play. It would be the Storm’s last lead of the game as the Chargers closed out the game on a 6-1 run.
Mouzon, a two-time All-NEAC selection, finishes her career ranked in Keuka’s top 10 in several categories: 1,026 points (seventh all-time in school history), 789 rebounds (third), 376 made field goals (10th) and a 46.4 field goal percentage (third). Her 57 blocks are the second-most in a career since the 1999-2000 season.
During the 2012-13 season, she led the Storm in rebounding (8.1 rpg.) and field goal percentage (49.5 percent) and was third in scoring average (11.6 ppg.).
Bandrowski, a first-team All-NEAC guard, averaged 18 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists during the two NEAC playoff contests.
Bandrowski scored 20 points with 4 rebounds and 4 assists during the win over Harrisburg as nine different members of the Storm scored. Bandrowski connected on 66.7 percent of her shots (6-for-9) as the Storm shot 50.8 percent (32-for-63) from the floor.
Leading 31-21 heading into halftime, Harrisburg used a 6-2 spurt to pull within 33-27 before Bandrowski connected on a layup and a ‘3’ and Mouzon added back-to-back jumpers for a 42-31 lead with 14:32 remaining.
A three-pointer from Jasmine Yanich pulled Harrisburg within 46-38, but Bandrowski hit a fast-break layup to jump-start the Storm on a critical 10-0 run, and Keuka breezed into the title game.
In the championship, Bandrowski scored 16 points with 6 rebounds and 4 assists, her 21st game with 10 or more points.
After Lancaster rallied from 12 points down to take a 55-53 lead, Bandrowski made a pair of free throws as Keuka pulled even with less than six minutes remaining.
A ‘3’ gave the Chargers a 58-55 lead, but Bandrowski answered by swishing a ‘3’ to knot the score with 4:53 remaining. But Lancaster made five of six free throws down the stretch to hand Keuka just its second loss in 19 games versus NEAC opponents.
The Storm, who had won six of the nine NEAC postseason championships, fell to 18-3 all-time in the NEAC tournament, by far the most wins of any school in the conference.
Bandrowski led Keuka in points (379), scoring average (15.8 ppg.), assists (116) and steals (91), and was third in rebounds (110). She ranked 16th in the country among all Division III student-athletes in assist-to-turnover ratio (2-1), was 20th in steals per game (3.79) and she was 35th in assists per game (4.83).
