Streaking Gators Halted in Texas

Dec 30, 2006

Boxscore

SOUTH PADRE ISLAND, Texas – Head coach Jennifer Reimer’s ascension into the school record books will have to wait another day as the Allegheny College women’s basketball team saw its streak of eight straight wins come to a halt Saturday afternoon with 10th-ranked Messiah College (9-1) handing the Gators a 65-48 loss in the championship game of the South Padre Island Shootout.

Reimer, who notched career-victory number 110 against Maryville on Friday, remains tied on Allegheny’s all-time coaching victory list with the loss. She’ll get her shot at the record soon, however, when her squad returns to the friendly confines of the David V. Wise Center on January 5-6 for a pair of North Coast Athletic Conference contests. The Gators face off with Earlham College on Friday at 6 p.m., before battling Wittenberg University at 4 p.m. on Saturday.

Senior Jennifer Latronica (Gibsonia, Pa./Deer Lakes) was named to the all-tournament team for Allegheny after posting 21 points, 19 rebounds, and seven blocked shots in two games, all team highs. She posted seven points and team-bests of nine rebounds and three blocked shots in the title game, while freshman Emilie Simone (Pittsburgh, Pa./Mt. Lebanon) paced the Gators with 10 points.

Following a 68-61 victory over Maryville on Friday to reach the finals, Allegheny received all it could handle from the nationally-ranked Falcons, falling behind by as many 11 points in the opening stanza and trailing 28-18 at the break.

The margin never dipped below double-digits in the second half as Messiah forced the Gators into 14 of their 26 turnovers in the stanza, while shooting nearly 50 percent from the field (12-of-25).

Simone led Allegheny as a reserve, connecting on 2-of-5 field goals and 6-of-7 free throws while adding five rebounds. Senior Meghan Vasilisin (Munhall, Pa./Oakland Catholic) and sophomore Stephanie Wolf (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Allegheny) chipped in with eight and nine points, respectively, with the latter also adding seven rebounds.

Senior Katie Kestler (Pittsburgh, Pa./Mt. Lebanon), who came into the game averaging an Allegheny-best 15.4 points per game, was held in check by the stingy Falcon defense, scoring a season-low three points on 1-of-10 shooting from the field. For the game, the Gators managed to hit 17-of-55 field goals (.309) and just 5-of-19 (.263) three-pointers.

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