SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. -- Skidmore College outscored the SUNY Oneonta women's basketball team 24-7 in the first quarter and put themselves in a commanding position for the rest of the game as they went on to win 76-51, Thursday evening. Sophomore Sophia Wakin (Delhi/Delaware Academy) finished with the team high 10 points and six rebounds as the Red Dragons are now 1-1 overall, while the Thoroughbreds start their season 1-0. 

Skidmore opened the game with an early 8-0 lead before senior Olivia Dobrovosky (Skaneateles/Skaneateles) hit a pair of free throws with five minutes left in the first. The Thoroughbreds knocked down three shots beyond the arc, two by Amelia Medolla, as they closed out the first with a 24-7 lead.
 
Emilija Jakumaite hit a triple for Skidmore to extend their lead to 20 on the first possession of the second quarter. After the three, freshman Lidia Boucher (Delmar, NY/Bethlehem Central High School) made a free throw and Oneonta started to chip away at the lead. Sophomore Nadia Brown (Troy/Troy) converted an and-one at 7:56 and after both teams traded baskets, junior Jenna Harclerode (Sayville/Sayville) stole the ball and senior Meg Nardelli (Wappingers Falls/Roy C. Ketcham) drilled a three. On the ensuing Skidmore possession, Nardelli stole the ball and made another triple, cutting the lead to nine with 4:17 in the half. With 1:35 remaining, Boucher nailed one from deep to make it 30-35 however the Thoroughbreds ended the half on an 8-0 run, with Andi Levitz hitting two threes, to regain a double-digit lead, 43-30. 

The third quarter began with a bit of back-and-forth play. Halfway through the third, junior Molly Stephens (LaGrange/Arlington) assisted Dobrovosky on a jumper and on the next possession Brown drove in for a layup to cut it to 40-50 with 4:38 in the quarter. Becca Horger hit a couple jumpers as Skidmore answered with a 7-0 stretch before Stephens hit a free throw in the final seconds of the third to make it 41-57. 

Medolla hit a three to open the final quarter and after Dobrovosky split a pair at the line, Kate McCarney made a layup to extend the lead back to 20 with 8:20 to go. Dobrovosky and Wakin made a few free throws, and fifth year Clara Culeton (Oswego/Oswego) made a layup at 4:42 to bring the deficit to 49-64, but Skidmore played solid defense for the remainder of the game and held Oneonta to one basket, a layup by freshman Emma Schwarzbeck (Wallkill, NY/Wallkill Senior High School) with 2:41 left.  

Nardelli finished with eight points, making two three-pointers, and had a defensive presence with three steals. Dobrovosky and Boucher each had six points as Dobrovosky recorded five rebounds and Boucher had two steals. 

Levitz led the scoring off Skidmore's bench with 19 points, going 6-for-10 from beyond the arc. Emmy Plage and Sarah Chambers contributed with nine points apiece while Plage brought in 10 rebounds with three blocks. 

Skidmore shot 42.6 percent from the field and hauled in 51 rebounds and Oneonta shot 28.1 percent from the field and recorded 35 rebounds.  

The Red Dragons wrap up their opening season road trip on Tuesday, at Mount Saint Mary College (NY) at 7 pm.    Read Full Article