BABSON PARK, MA. -- The SUNY Oneonta women's basketball team was defeated by Colby College, 54-43, on the first day of the Judy Pearson '85 Memorial Tournament at Babson College, Friday afternoon. Senior
Molly Stephens (LaGrange, NY/Arlington) led the Red Dragons with 16 points and three assists as the team dropped to 2-6 on the season while the Mules improved to 8-3 overall.
Colby started the game up 7-2 until Oneonta scored eight straight for a 10-7 lead at 2:44. Stephens started it with a pair at the line, junior
Molly Coyne (Syracuse, NY/West Genesee) hit a mid-range jumper, and sophomore
Emma Schwarzbeck (Wallkill, NY/Wallkill Senior High School) scored the last four points of the run. The Red Dragons closed out the quarter with a Stephens' three from the wing and Schwarzbeck found junior
Sophia Wakin (Delhi, NY/Delaware Academy) cutting toward the basket in the closing seconds for Oneonta to go up 15-14.
The back-and-forth play between the teams continued in the second quarter as Colby's Carter McGloon hit a three to regain the Mules lead for a moment then junior
Amanda Zuntag (Staten Island, NY/Notre Dame Academy) tied it with a layup on the next possession. Later in the quarter McGloon made another jumper at 3:14, however Wakin answered back with a three-point play to put the Red Dragons ahead 22-21 with 3:05 left in the half. The Mules put themselves ahead by four after Ana Von Rumohr hit two free throws and Kate Olenik made a three, though Schwarzbeck nailed a corner three on Oneonta's next possession for them to trail 26-25 at the end of the half.
The Mules separated themselves and opened the second half with a 14-3 run for a 40-28 advantage at 4:27 in the third. Stephens stopped the run with a running floater then knocked down a pair at the line a minute later. Junior
Nadia Brown (Troy, NY/Troy) made a free throw before the end of the third for a 45-33 deficit.
Colby extended their lead to 17 with 8:38 to play. Oneonta cut the lead to 11 with 1:53 to go with a couple fastbreak baskets from Stephens and senior
Jenna Harclerode (Sayville, NY/Sayville), but the Red Dragons could not get anything else in the closing minutes and the Mules held on.
Schwarzbeck and Wakin each finished with seven points, and Coyne and Schwarzbeck co-led the team with seven rebounds.
Colby shot 32.1 percent from the floor and held a 46-40 rebounding advantage, while Oneonta shot 25.8 percent.
The Red Dragons will face the tournament host, Babson College, tomorrow at 2 pm.
