HOBOKEN, N.J. - SUNY Geneseo junior guard Kara Houppert scored a team-high 15 points but it was host Stevens Institute coming from behind to capture the 66-60 victory in the second round of the NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Tournament, Saturday night.
Senior forward Allison McKenna totaled 11 points, eight rebounds and five blocks while senior forward Lea Sobieraski also added 11 points as the Knights finish the season with a 21-8 record. Senior guard Kaitlyn Astel had a game-high 21 points and senior guard Miranda Ripken notched 20 points to lead the Ducks to third round of the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history.
Ahead, 9-7, at 5:26 in the first quarter, Geneseo went on a 9-2 run to take an 18-9 lead at 3:40. The run was capped by a three-pointer from junior guardKayleigh Cavanaugh. Still up by nine, 20-11, with 1:31 on the clock, Stevens scored five of the final seven points of the quarter to make it a 22-16 game.
At 8:32 in the second quarter, Houppert made a lay-up to give the Knights their largest lead of the game, 26-16. Following a free-throw by Sobieraski at 6:07 to give Geneseo a 30-21 advantage, the Ducks responded with a 12-4 run to pull within one, 34-33, with under a minute to play in the half. Houppert made a lay-up as time expired to make it 36-33 at the break.
With 6:30 to go in the third quarter, Astel hit a jumper to give Stevens its first lead, 43-42, since 8:03 in the first quarter. Play went back and fourth in the third quarter, which saw a total of six lead changes and three ties. Ripken sank two free-throws with five seconds on the clock to make it a 54-54 game heading into the final period.
The Ducks took back the lead, 58-56, at 7:53 in the fourth quarter and never looked back. Trailing by four, 62-58, at the 35-second mark, junior forward Katie Vienneau, who finished the night with 10 points off the bench, made two free throws to bring the Knights within two, 62-60. However, Stevens held strong defensively and made four-of-four free throws in the game's final moments to secure the win.
