Gators Rally Past Earlham 60-57

Feb 2, 2007

Boxscore

RICHMOND, Ind. – In a back and forth game that featured a dozen ties and a dozen lead changes, the visiting Allegheny College women’s basketball team emerged from the Hoosier State with a 60-57 victory over host and North Coast Athletic Conference foe Earlham College as sophomore Stephanie Wolf (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Allegheny) blocked the Quakers’ last-ditch three-point attempt with three seconds left.

Senior Jennifer Latronica (Gibsonia, Pa./Deer Lakes) led the Gators (14-6, 8-4 NCAC) with 13 points while also becoming the school’s single-season record holder in blocked shots. She swatted three Quaker attempts on the night, giving her 55 for the season and besting the previous mark of 52 set by Heidi Wiederkehr in 1983-84. Joining the senior in double figures was fellow classmate Katie Kestler (Pittsburgh, Pa./Mt. Lebanon) with 11 points, including nine in the first half.

Allegheny jumped out to an early lead at Earlham (3-18, 2-10 NCAC), eventually pushing the margin to a game-high nine points (18-9) following a pair of layups by Latronica and a pair of free throws by Wolf. The hosts cut the deficit to two (18-16) with a 7-0 run of their own, and eventually took a one-point lead at 26-25 with just over one minute remaining in the half.

Kestler regained the lead for the Gators with one of her three trifectas before Whitney McBurrows knotted the game at 28-28 with a pair of free throws right before the end of the half.

In a see-saw battle in the second half, Allegheny never gained more than a four-point edge (43-39 at 10:26), while Earlham never pushed its advantage past three (48-45 at 8:00). Tied at 55 with under three minutes remaining in the game, the Gators capitalized on one of the Quakers’ 19 turnovers as Hilary Collins (Franklin, Pa./Franklin) picked up a steal and Latronica sank two free throws on the ensuing offensive possession.

McBurrows tied the game for the final time with a jumper at 1:58, but Collins came through in the clutch again, putting Allegheny ahead for good with her own jumper just 16 seconds later. Freshman Brittany Bell (Greensburg, Pa./Hempfield) sealed the scoring with a free throw with 51 seconds to go.

Kestler, who finished 4-of-12 from the field and added a game-high five assists, tied her own single-season record for three-pointers made with 55 this season, a feat she has accomplished each of the last two seasons. Wolf continued her consistent production with eight points, including 6-of-6 at the charity stripe, and eight rebounds, while Emilie Simone (Pittsburgh, Pa./Mt. Lebanon), Bell, and Rosina Walton (Ingomar, Pa./North Allegheny) chipped in with eight, seven, and six points, respectively.

Earlham’s starters scored all but two points on the night, with four of the five hitting for double figures. Tasha Merrill led the way with 15 points and nine rebounds, while Shontavia Davis picked up 11 points, seven rebounds, and four assists.

Allegheny continues its road trip with a key conference contest at rival Wittenberg University (10-9, 7-4 NCAC) tomorrow, Feb. 3, at 2 p.m. The Tigers, who won the first meeting between the two teams 59-50, defeated Hiram College 67-31 on Friday night.

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