ONEONTA, N.Y. -- An explosive second quarter from the SUNY Oneonta women's basketball team put them in lead for the rest of the game as they defeated Cobleskill 66-53 in their home opener, Thursday evening. Junior Jenna Harclerode (Sayville/Sayville) recorded a double-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds with two three-pointers and senior Meg Nardelli (Wappingers Falls/Roy C. Ketcham) totaled 14 points and a couple triples. The Red Dragons improved to 2-2 on the season while the Fighting Tigers fell to 1-3.  

A different Oneonta player scored their first four baskets. Graduate student Clara Culeton (Oswego/Oswego) made a putback layup that gave the Red Dragons an 8-4 lead with 5:18 left in the first, however the Fighting Tigers closed out the first with a 10-2 run. Jordan Finch scored four points during the run for Cobleskill to put them up 14-10 after one.  

Oneonta scored the first nine points in the second to put them up five with 7:08 in the half. Nardelli opened the scoring with a shot beyond the arc, sophomore Nadia Brown (Troy/Troy) converted an and-one, and Harclerode capped it off with a triple of her own. After Fighting Tiger's Talia Washington hit a couple shots from deep to bring them within one, the Red Dragons closed out the final five minutes on a 16-6 run. Following Washington's second three, Nardelli hit a jumper, then freshman Emma Schwarzbeck (Wallkill, NY/Wallkill Senior High School) found sophomore Sophia Wakin (Delhi/Delaware Academy) for a layup. Oneonta pounded the glass for junior Molly Stephens (LaGrange/Arlington) and Wakin to score a couple second chance buckets and they closed out the run converting points off Cobleskill's turnovers. Stephens stole the ball and found Harclerode for the basket with a minute left, and Schwarzbeck ended the second with a steal that led to a layup from senior Elizabeth Thompson (Morris/Morris) and the Red Dragons went into halftime up 37-26.  

Annie Canales hit a triple to make it an eight-point deficit, but senior Olivia Dobrovosky (Skaneateles/Skaneateles) hit a pair of free throws to bring the lead back to 10. Most of the quarter consisted of both teams trading baskets. Schwarzbeck split a pair at the line to make it 44-34 with 2:30 left in the third before Keyara Maxwell hit a three to make it a seven-point game. Nardelli and Finch each scored a basket to end the third as Oneonta went into the fourth up 46-39.

The Red Dragons put the game out of reach for the Fighting Tigers with an 8-0 run to start the fourth. Nardelli knocked down a three before sophomore Amanda Zuntag (Staten Island/Notre Dame Academy) scored the next five points with a three-point play and a layup, putting Oneonta up 15 with 8:34 left. Cobleskill got it to within seven after a free throw from Megan Hughes with 2:26 remaining, though it was momentary as Stephens answered with a three and Harclerode hit a couple free throws to put them a dozen with 1:25. Harclerode ended the game with a triple as the seconds ran off the clock.

Stephens finished with nine points, three rebounds and three assists, while Zuntag scored seven points and recorded nine rebounds.  

Washington led the game with 15 points, and Finch, Canales and Emily Satterday recorded 10. Satterday also had 14 rebounds for a double-double.  

The Red Dragons shot 34.2 percent from the field and had 54 rebounds compared to the Fighting Tigers 26.2 percent from the floor and 51 rebounds. Oneonta limited their turnovers to five in the game and Cobleskill had 12.  

The Red Dragons are back in action Saturday when they host Sage College at 1 pm. Read Full Article