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Gators Use Big Second Half to Pull Away for 71-44 Victory
November 19, 2004
Meadville, Pa. – After trailing at halftime by one point, the Allegheny women’s basketball team rebounded in a big way in the second half to record a 71-44 victory over Alfred (N.Y.) University in the first round of the National City Tip-Off Tournament at the Wise Center.
The Gators improve to 1-0 and advance to play Marietta (Ohio) College tomorrow in the championship game at 3 p.m. The Pioneers defeated Waynesburg College 51-47 in the other semifinal to move into the title game opposite Allegheny. Alfred will play Waynesburg at 1 p.m. in the consolation contest.
The game had a slow start, as the lone bucket in the opening four minutes was a jumper by Gator junior Caitlin Murtagh (Bethel Park, Pa./ Seton-LaSalle) two minutes into the game. The rest of the half wasn’t much more productive for AC’s offense. Alfred used a 10-0 run to take as big as a 17-11 lead at one point. The Gators came back to regain the lead but Alfred’s Denae Foster hit two free throws with 35 seconds left in the half to give the visitors a 20-19 advantage at intermission.
In the opening 20 minutes, Allegheny shot just 27 percent (9-34) from the field and committed nine turnovers.
The second half was a completely different Allegheny squad, as the hosts took control off the strength of a 14-2 burst to open the half. Alfred was within 10 at 39-29 with 12:43 to play but that would be as close as the Lady Saxons would get. A 15-5 run over the next four minutes propelled Allegheny to a 20-point lead and the Gators never looked back.
Allegheny used its depth and strength inside to wear down Alfred. After getting just eight points in the paint in the opening half, the Gators scored 26 points inside the key as they pulled away down the stretch. The hosts also got 34 total points from its bench players, including 26 in the second half.
The balanced Gator attack, which rebounded to shoot 57 percent (20-34) in the second half, was led by junior forward Courtney Steding (McDonald, Pa./ Fort Cherry), who scored all 12 of her points in the second half and added a team-high seven rebounds. Senior forward Meredith McDonough (Pittsburgh, Pa./ Oakland Catholic) was the only other AC player in double digits with 10 markers.
Adding nine points on a perfect 3-3 shooting from the arc was sophomore forward Becca Gasiewicz (Grove City, Pa./ Kennedy Christian), while junior guard Valery Medwid (Coraopolis, Pa./ Montour) chipped in with seven points, six rebounds and a team-best four assists.
Alfred, who was out-rebounded in the contest 46-34 and hit just 14 of 49 shots (29 percent), was paced by Meghan Coddington, who recorded a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds.