SCHENECTADY, NY – Senior forward Ava Thomas scored 17 points and pulled down a game high 14 rebounds to lead Utica College to a 67-58 overtime victory over Union College in a non-league women's basketball contest at the Viniar Athletic Center Sunday. The visiting Pioneers improved to 3-0 while the host Dutchwomen fell to 0-1 after this season opening contest.
Sophomore guard
Maria Tobin (Schenectady, NY/Bishop Maginn) had her first career double-double for the Dutchwomen, posting team highs of 19 points and 11 rebounds. Both numbers were career highs for Tobin. Senior forward
Krystal Hammond (Clifton Park, NY/Shenendehowa) scored 16 points with 10 rebounds for Union. Sophomore center
Rachel Ormsby (Charlton, NY/Burnt Hills) made her Union debut and scored 10 points with six rebounds, with all 10 points coming after the first half.
Junior guard/forward Karen Crisanti added 15 points for the Pioneers, while Dana Danziger (Point Pleasant, NJ/Point Pleasant) and Laura Keating had 13 points each. Danzinger added a game high six assists.
With the teams tied at 58-58 with 4:29 left in the overtime, the Pioneers went on 9-0 run to end the game. Six of those points came from Danzinger at the line. Union led 27-24 at halftime and was up by six at 37-31 with 13:54 left in the second half. But the Pioneers went on a 14-2 run in the next 5:15 and led 45-39 with 8:39 remaining. Union trailed 56-54 with 1:33 left, but Tobin made both free throws to tie it at that time, and neither team could convert in the waning moments of regulation.
Utica shot 43% for the game and 74% from the line. The Dutchwomen, who had a 50-30 rebounding advantage in the game, shot 29% for the day and 83% from the line. Utica hit 43% of three-point attempts and forced 31 Union turnovers, while the Dutchwomen shot 26% from three point land.
Union will host New Paltz Tuesday night. Both games are at 7 p.m.
