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Gators Set Three Season-Highs in Win
January 4, 2005
MEADVILLE, Pa. - Led by sophomore guard Katie Kestler (Pittsburgh, Pa./Mt. Lebanon), the Allegheny women’s basketball team recorded three season-highs in a 79-46 win over Bethany (WV) College at home Tuesday night. The win improves Allegheny’s record to 7-4, as Bethany drops to 2-9.
Kestler came off the bench to spark the offense with a season-high four three-pointers, and scored 16 of 49 bench points.
The Gators found themselves down early, as they couldn’t find the hoop but pressed hard, forcing 16 turnovers in the first half and scoring 19 points off them. Allegheny took their first lead with 7:08 to play when junior forward Courtney Steding (McDonald, Pa./Fort Cherry) fed senior guard Raelynn Miles (McDonald, Pa./Fort Cherry) for a fast break lay-up to go up 19-17. Bethany scored just one basket the remainder of the half as Allegheny used a 20-2 run to build a 35-19 half time lead.
The Bison hit their first two baskets of the second half, both treys, but Allegheny’s junior guard Caitlin Murtagh (Bethel Park, Pa./Seton-LaSalle) answered with seven points in a 10-0 run to jump the lead back to 20.
The Gators used six three-point baskets in the last 12:53 to propel their lead to as many as 37. With those six treys added to Kestler’s three in the first half, the Gators set a season-high for three-pointers made with nine in a game. The Gators finished with a 47.4 percentage from behind the arc to break another season mark.
Allegheny shot 43.2% from the field for the game, making 32 of 74 shots. Their 74 shot attempts is also a season-high.
Kestler was the games’ high-scorer with 16 points and was followed by Murtagh with 13 points. Senior forward Meredith McDonough (Pittsburgh, Pa./Oakland Catholic) and sophomore forward Jennifer Latronica (Gibsonia, Pa./Deer Lakes) each grabbed a team-high seven rebounds. Junior guard Beth Van Parys (Erie, Pa./Villa Maria Academy) picked up five assists and four steals on the night.
Jenny Place led the Bison with nine points as three others scored eight points apiece. Nicole Vlajkovich was the games’ top rebounder with nine boards.
The Gators return to NCAC action this weekend as they host Earlham (Ind.) College on Friday at 5:30 p.m. and Wittenberg (OH) University on Saturday at 4:00 p.m.