Reimer Reaches 100; Gators Clinch Second With Win Over Denison

Feb 21, 2004

Allegheny College head coach Jennifer Reimer reached the century mark with her 100th career win as the Gators women’s basketball team upended the Denison Big Red, 60-55, on Saturday afternoon, clinching second place in the North Coast Athletic Conference regular season standings. Reimer is now 100-75 (.571) in her career, including a 57-33 (.633) mark at Allegheny.

Allegheny finishes the regular season with a 15-10 overall mark and a 13-3 record in the NCAC. The Gators will host a quarterfinal game on Tuesday, February 24, at the Wise Center. Their opponent is yet to be determined, but they will likely play Kenyon, Earlham or Wooster. Allegheny is 6-0 against those teams.

The Gators needed a second-half comeback to claim victory on Saturday. Allegheny trailed 42-28 with 13:05 left in the game. The Gators turned up the pressure forcing the Big Red (17-8, 11-5 NCAC) into seven turnovers over the next six minutes. When junior guard Raelynn Miles (McDonald, Pa./Fort Cherry) canned a three-pointer – her only points of the game – with 7:28 left, the game was tied for the first time since 3:55 into the first half.

Denison reclaimed temporary control, going up five, 53-48, with 4:28 remaining. Allegheny retaliated with a jumper from sophomore guard Caitlin Murtagh (Bethel Park, Pa./Seton-LaSalle) and a three-pointer from senior guard Jessica Kankoski (Glenshaw, Pa./Fox Chapel) to tie the game with 3:32 left. Denison again took a two point lead, 55-53, but a pair of free throws and a lay-up by Kankoski gave the Gators the lead as they ran off the final seven points of the contest.

Junior forward Meredith McDonough (Pittsburgh, Pa./Oakland Catholic) led the Gators with 12 points on 6-of-10 shooting while Murtagh finished with 10 points. Allegheny forced 21 turnovers and finished with 15 steals. Allegheny shots 37.1 percent (23-62) in the game.

Denison’s Ann Staubach led all scorers with 19 points and Jessica McConnell added 11 points. Kristen Sheffield finished with a game-high 11 rebounds for the Big Red who shot 37.7 percent (20-53) in the game. After shooting 48.4 percent (15-31) in the first half, Denison cooled off to 22.7 percent (5-22) in the final stanza.

Allegheny fell behind 35-24 at the break as Denison broke open a 14-13 game by going on a 21-11 run over the first half’s final 9:32.

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