First Half Comeback Propels Gators

Dec 29, 2004

Boxscore

MEADVILLE, Pa. - The Allegheny women’s basketball team shot just 27% in the opening ten minutes of play and fell as many as nine points behind the visiting Purple Raiders of Mount Union (OH) College before rallying for a 12-point halftime lead and an 81-64 victory. With the win, the Gators improve to 5-4 overall as the Purple Raiders fell to 2-8 on the year.

Senior guard Raelynn Miles (McDonald, Pa./Fort Cherry) sparked a five-point play to tie the game at 24 with 5:14 to play. Miles fed junior forward Courtney Steding (McDonald, Pa./Fort Cherry) for a lay-up and then rebounded Steding’s missed free throw and passed off to junior guard Valery Medwid (Coraopolis, Pa./Montour) for a trey to tie the game.

The Gators then set the Raiders 12 points back with a 14-2 run to end the half. Allegheny held Mount Union to just two free throws in the final eight minutes of the half, while causing 11 turnovers.

Senior forward Meredith McDonough (Pittsburgh, Pa./Oakland Catholic) led the Gators through the half with five steals and eight points, as Steding also put in eight points. Miles finished the half with four assists.

The Gators quickly jumped their lead to 20 points on a possession of three offensive rebounds that led to a three-point basket by junior guard Beth Van Parys (Erie, Pa./Villa Maria Academy) off an assist from freshman guard Stephanie Izurieta (Mason, Ohio/William Mason).

Steding was a big part of the strong Allegheny second half, collecting three steals and four assists as she finished the game with 12 points, five steals, five assists and five rebounds.

Junior guard Caitlin Murtagh (Bethel Park, Pa./Seton-LaSalle) also chipped in 12 points, as she hit twice from behind the arc. McDonough finished her night with 10 points and six steals in 19 minutes, while Miles grabbed a team-high nine boards and dished out six assists.

Kyla Hogan led all scorers and Mount Union with 15 points and also picked up a game-high eight steals. Ashley Bourdeau and Ashley Ross both put up 12 points and Bourdeau also grabbed eight boards.

The Gators head to John Carroll (Ohio) University for a 7:00 p.m. tip-off tomorrow evening.

Printable Version