Box Score Box Score

     An offensive rebound and a put back by Utica senior Jessica Snyder (Elbridge/Jordan-Elbridge) with 2.3 seconds remaining in the game proved to be the difference in a 58-56 Pioneer win this afternoon against SUNY Oneonta.
    Oneonta (3-4) held a 50-41 lead with 7:38 left in the contest after sophomore Samantha Szkotak (New York Mills/New York Mills) hit a pair of free throws.  Szkotak finished the game with 11 points and a team high seven rebounds.
     Junior Rebecca Bucci (Marlboro/Our Lady of Lourdes) made a pair of free throws for Oneonta as they held a six-point lead at 52-46 at the 5:55 mark of the second half.
     Utica (6-2) began its final push with a three-point play by junior Jessica Berry (Rome/Rome Free Academy) to cut Oneonta's lead to 52-49.  Berry finished the game with 13 points and eight rebounds.
     A pair of free throws by junior Devon Croll (Vernon/Vernon Verona-Sherrill) cut the Red Dragons' lead to one with just over five minutes to go.  Croll led all players in the game with 21 points.
     Back-to-back layups on two successive trips by Oneonta gave them its lead back momentarily at 56-51 before Utica's freshman Danielle Busansky (Millersville, PA/Penn Manor) buried a three-pointer to cut the lead back to 56-54.  A layup by Berry tied the score at 56 apiece with 1:03 remaining setting up the late game heroics by Snyder.  Busansky was the third and final player for the Pioneers in double figures in the contest with 12 points.
     Oneonta did have two possessions in the final minute thanks to a team offensive rebound off of a missed shot by Erika Puffer (Unadilla/Unatego)  Unfortunately, the Red Dragons couldn't capitalize as they turned the ball over, which led to the possession by Utica where they scored the game-winner.
     Oneonta jumped out to an early 7-0 lead in the first half on a three-point basket by Szkotak and a layup by Sara Chrystie (Oxford/Oxford) (Oxford/Oxford) followed by another layup by Szkotak.
     The Pioneers came all the way back to erase the deficit and take a 12-9 lead on a three-point basket by junior Stephanie Nara (Frederick, MD/Governor Thomas Johnson).
     The two teams continued to battle closely until a three-point play by freshman Sarah Waltersdorf (Clifton Park/Shenendehowa)
 gave the Red Dragons a 20-16 lead at the 7:27 mark.  Oneonta closed the half with a 12-5 run to take a 32-21 halftime lead.
     Waltersdorf and classmate Kate Wilverding (Manalapan, NJ/St. John Vianney) each reached double figures in the game for Oneonta with 12 and 10 points respectively.
     The Red Dragons will be off until Dec. 29 when they play an opening round game at the Salem State College Tournament against Nichols College.