Allegheny Advances To NCAC Championship

Feb 27, 2004

A balanced scoring attack and strong first half was the springboard for Allegheny College to advance to their first North Coast Athletic Conference Tournament championship game since the 1989 season. The Gators never trailed in the game a they took a 38-31 halftime lead and held on to defeat Denison University, 63-61.

The Gators – now 17-10 overall and winners of their last six and 13 of their last 14 – will face the winner of the Wittenberg/Ohio Wesleyan tilt that is slated for 7:45 p.m. on Friday night. The Tigers have won both meetings with Allegheny this season. The Gators are 2-0 in the season series against Ohio Wesleyan.

Four players hit double-digits for Allegheny led by sophomore guard Valery Medwid (Coraopolis, Pa./Montour) who had 17. She was perfect from three-point range (3-3) and the free throw line (4-4) as she hit 5-of-7 from the field. Senior guard Jessica Kankoski (Glenshaw, Pa./Fox Chapel) chipped in with 12 points and nine boards. Sophomore guard Caitlin Murtagh (Bethel Park, Pa./Seton-LaSalle) finished with 11 points and nine boards and junior forward Meredith McDonough (Pittsburgh, Pa./Oakland Catholic) had 11 points.

Allegheny scored the first ten points of the game and held a 14-1 margin just 5:21 into the game. The Gators shot 53.6 percent (15-28) in the first half, stretching the lead to as many as 14 points. Denison cut into a 35-21 deficit, going on a 10-3 run over the final 3:35 to make it a seven-point game at the half.

Denison was held to 37.5 percent (12-32) shooting in the first and Allegheny outrebounded the Big Red, 21-12 at the intermission.

The second half mirrored the first as the Gators stretched the lead to 48-35 with 14:35 left in the game. However, Allegheny went cold over the next nine minutes missing 12 of 14 shots and allowing Denison to tie the game, 53-53, with 5:39 remaining.

Again the momentum switched hands as the Big Red missed their next five attempts and the Gators scored the next five points, sealing the game. Denison’s Ann Staubach hit a jumper with three seconds left to cut the deficit to two, but Allegheny secured the inbounds and the game to advance to the championship.

Denison finishes the season with an 18-9 mark. Kristen Sheffield paced the Big Red with 19 points and nine rebounds.

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