Posted: Mar 04, 2011
Geneseo, N.Y.-The Geneseo Blue Knights (26-3) advanced to the second round of the NCAA Division III Women’s Basketball tournament with a 62-51 win over DeSales University (19-9) in the Carl Schrader Gymnasium at SUNY Geneseo tonight.
Senior Khadija Campbell (Middletown, N.Y.) scored 13 of her 15 points in the first half and sophomore Melissa Graham (Orchard Park, N.Y.) added 13 points, seven rebounds and four assists, including 5-6 from the line in the final 47 seconds to pace the Blue Knights. Senior Alyssa Polosky (Endicott, N.Y.) contributed 11 points, six rebounds and three blocks and Geneseo held the Bulldogs to 2-18 from the arc.
In the first half, Geneseo opened a 9-2 lead over the first 3:32, capped by a layup by Campbell. The Knights extended their lead to 11 points on a pair of free throws by Polosky with 8:36 to go before gaining the 13-point bulge at intermission. The Blue Knights made 10-12 from the charity stripe in the opening stanza, while DeSales hit 9-9 free throws, but only 1-10 from long range. “The atmosphere in the gym was tremendous and really fueled our play right from the opening tip,” Geneseo head coach Scott Hemer said.
Geneseo opened the second half on a 8-4 run to open their largest lead at 49-32 with 12:46 to play on a three-pointer by senior Brittany Finkle (Windsor, N.Y.). Freshman Sondrine Glovas (Easton, Pa.) scored seven points in a 17-5 run as DeSales responded to close within five at 54-49 with 3:07 remaining, but another long-range shot by Finkle with 2:37 to play sealed the contest. “We lost some of our passion on the glass in the second half,” explained Hemer. “(Junior Cherelle) Simmons was a player we spent a great deal of time talking about, but her athleticism made her very difficult to contain.”
Simmons (Lancaster, Pa.) paced the Bulldogs with 15 points and 12 rebounds on 7-12 shooting, Glovas finished with 14 points and senior Lori Lidlow (Toms River, N.J.) hit 6-6 from the line on her way to 10 points.
Geneseo will face Babson, a 78-58 winner over Medaille, on Saturday at 7 p.m. for the right to advance to the Sweet 16.
