Gators Advance to NCAC Semis

Feb 20, 2007

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MEADVILLE, Pa. – Allegheny College head coach Jennifer Reimer said it would take defense to win in the North Coast Athletic Conference Tournament, and that’s exactly the game plan her players followed, holding visiting College of Wooster to a season-low 42 points in a 59-42 quarterfinal victory at the David V. Wise Center.

The third-seeded Gators advance to the semifinals of the NCAC Tournament hosted by Denison University on Friday, February 23. Allegheny will square off with No. 2 Wittenberg University, an 83-52 winner in its opening round match up against Earlham College, at 5:30 p.m.

The Gators, who improved to 18-7 overall, stifled the Fighting Scots (14-12) for 40 minutes, holding the visitors to just 33.3 percent shooting from the floor, including just 6-of-26 from long range, and forcing 18 turnovers. Allegheny’s inside presence accounted for the majority of the damage as senior Jennifer Latronica (Gibsonia, Pa./Deer Lakes), pictured at the right, and sophomore Stephanie Wolf (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Allegheny) combined for six of the team’s seven blocked shots, all in the second period. The duo was among the leading scorers as well, with Latronica pouring in a team-high 18 points and Wolf adding a dozen tallies.

Defense and pour shooting played a key role early on as neither team could gain a clear advantage. Allegheny started the game 3-of-22, while the visitors canned 4-of-14 attempts to gain a 13-9 lead with under seven minutes remaining in the opening half.

The Gators woke up at 6:28, however, reeling off seven straight points to retake the lead 16-13. Three different players connected on three-point shots in the final 5:51, including Becca Gasiewicz (Grove City, Pa./Kennedy Catholic), whose three with 10 seconds left gave the hosts a 28-23 cushion at the break.

The momentum carried over into the second half as Allegheny jumped out to a 13-point lead (40-27) at 13:32 following a 12-2 run. Wooster was never able to close the gap to less than 10 over the course of the final frame, thanks in part to a Gator defense which held the visitors to a measly 18.2 percent (6-of-33) shooting from the field.

Latronica finished the night 8-of-15 from the field, adding six rebounds, while Wolf put together an impressive stat line, hitting 8-of-9 free throws, picking up three steals, and tallying a career-high four blocked shots. Gasiewicz, shown at the left, also hit for double-digits in the scoring column, netting 13 points, including three three-pointers, and grabbing a team-high nine rebounds.

Allegheny leading scorer Katie Kestler (Pittsburgh, Pa./Mt. Lebanon) was held in check scoring-wise by Wooster’s Winnie Adrien, tallying only six points, but the Gator senior found other means to contribute by dishing out six assists and picking up five steals.

Wooster was led by Carly Loehrke, who picked up a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds. Kym Wenz narrowly missed a double-double with 10 tallies and nine boards.

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