WILDCATS TURN BACK EXPRESS

UTICA, N.Y. – The Wells College women's basketball team would be unable to close the gap in a 67-57 loss to the SUNY IT Wildcats in North Eastern Athletic Conference action Sunday afternoon in Utica, N.Y. With the loss the Express fall to 5-13 (3-7 NEAC), while the Wildcats improve to a conference leading 14-3 (8-1 NEAC).

Ashley Roser (Taberg, N.Y.) paced the Express with 19 points and 14 rebounds, while teammate Kristen Ryan (Syracuse, N.Y.) added 11 points and Kelli Furney (Camden, N.Y.) chipped in with 10 points.

SUNY IT held a 16-15 lead through the first ten minutes and would extend their lead to seven (29-22) with 6:48 to go before halftime. Ryan would help the Express keep pace with the Wildcats, scoring seven of the Express final eight points to pull within five (35-30) at the break.

The Wildcats came out shooting in the second half, building a 13 point lead (53-40) with 9:07 to play. Just as it looked as though the Wildcats would runaway the Express started to chip away.

Jordan Peterson (Hamilton, N.Y.) hit one of two free throws and Roser hit a jump shot, two free throws, and a lay-up to pull the Express to within eight (55-47). Peterson hit another free throw, and after a 3-pointer by the Wildcats pushed their lead back to ten (58-48), Roser started a 7-0 run with a lay-up and a 3-point bucket, and Rachel Mattraw (Chaumont, N.Y.) finished the run with a jumper as the Express would find themselves down by just three points (58-55) with 4:29 left.

A SUNY IT timeout moments later seemed to settle the Wildcats down as they would hold the Express scoreless over the next four minutes, while rattling off a 5-0 run to take a 63-55 lead with 28-seconds remaining. A Roser bucket cut the lead to six (63-57) but Lyndsey Brognano went to the line twice, hitting all four free-throws to seal the victory for SUNY IT.

Nailah Cherry led the Wildcats with 10 points and 16 rebounds. Ashley Schmidt added her own double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds, while Brognano added 11 points of her own.

The Express return to action on Wednesday when they take on NEAC opponent Cazenovia College at 7 p.m. in Aurora. The Express will be looking to avenge an early season 55-45 loss to Cazenovia back on Dec. 7.