ONEONTA, N.Y. -- Three Red Dragons scored double figures in the SUNY Oneonta women's basketball team's 61-56 SUNYAC win against Oswego, Tuesday evening. Senior
Molly Stephens (LaGrange, NY/Arlington) led the game with 20 points and 10 rebounds for her first collegiate double-double. Juniors
Nadia Brown (Troy, NY/Troy) and
Amanda Zuntag (Staten Island, NY/Notre Dame Academy) each finished with 12 points as the Red Dragons improved to 3-8 overall, 1-3 in the conference, and the Lakers dropped to 7-4 on the season and 3-2 in SUNYAC.
Stephens recorded the game's first five points off a pair at the line and a triple from the wing, while Karleigh Leo scored the first eight for Oswego. A putback from junior
Sophia Wakin (Delhi, NY/Delaware Academy) and a corner two from Zuntag gave the Red Dragons a 9-8 lead at 5:07, however the Lakers went on an 8-0 stretch to go up seven. Brown euro-stepped past her defender to end the run at 1:59 then found Zuntag on the wing for the bucket and Oneonta went into the second down 18-13.
Oswego had their largest lead of the game with 6:05 left in the half off a three-pointer from Leo that put them up 26-17. Oneonta narrowed the gap to four with a couple jump shots, but a free throw from Logan Castiglione and a triple from Leo put the Lakers back up eight at 2:09. Junior
Molly Coyne (Syracuse, NY/West Genesee) set a screen for Stephens to hit a jump shot before she closed out the half with a jumper at the top of the key for the Red Dragons to trail 29-33 at the break.
Senior
Jenna Harclerode (Sayville, NY/Sayville) scored the first basket of the third off a give-and-go with Brown to pull Oneonta within two. Oswego kept the lead until Brown drove to the rim on two straight possessions to tie the game at 39 at 4:15. After the Lakers split their trip to the line, sophomore
Emma Schwarzbeck (Wallkill, NY/Wallkill Senior High School) drove into the paint, drew Zuntag's defender towards her, and kicked it out near the top of the arc to Zuntag to give the Red Dragons a 41-40 lead at 3:43. Schwarzbeck found Zuntag again on the next possession for a reverse layup, though Oswego scored the last four points of the third to go ahead 44-43.
After an Oswego turnover, Stephens made a layup to give Oneonta a 45-44 edge with 9:19 to play. The Lakers regained the lead for a moment with a Chastin Giles' and-one at 6:31. The Red Dragons sparked a 12-2 run following the three-point play to put themselves ahead 59-50 with 1:47 remaining. Shania Iglesias scored six points in the final minute to keep Oswego alive, but a free throw from Stephens and Schwarzbeck secured the win.
Along with scoring in double digits, Brown dished out five assists while Zuntag brought in nine boards. Wakin tallied eight points off the bench, Harclerode co-led the game with 10 rebounds, and Schwarzbeck finished with five assists and nine rebounds.
Leo led the Lakers with 17 points and five rebounds, and Giavanna Principio-White had nine points and nine rebounds.
Oneonta shot 37.0 percent from the floor and held a 54-47 advantage on the glass, while Oswego shot 30.6 percent from the field.
The Red Dragons return to action on Friday for a SUNYAC contest at Buffalo State at 5:30 pm.
