Jan. 30, 2010

Final Stats

HAMILTON, N.Y. -- Colgate's Jhazmine Lynch scored on a scooping layup with 14.5 seconds left to break a tie game and score what would prove to be the game-winning points in a 56-54 victory for the Raiders over the Navy women's basketball team, Saturday afternoon at Cotterell Court in Hamilton, N.Y.

Navy saw its record fall to 3-4 in the Patriot League and 11-11 overall with the loss, while Colgate improved to 2-5 in league play and 7-14 on the entire year with the win.

With K.C. Gordon (Sr., Vienna, Va.), who had scored in double figures in the last eight games sitting on the bench due to an injury suffered in Navy's game Wednesday night against American, Kristin Bowen (Sr., Monroeville, N.J.) was placed into the starting lineup for the first time this season. Bowen made the most of the opportunity, connecting on 4-of-7 three-point field goals in the first half and tallying 14 points before halftime. Her outside shooting was a key part of Navy closing the first half on an 18-4 run that gave the Mids a 27-23 lead at intermission.

Navy would expand its lead to eight points at 34-26 on a three-point field goal from Angela Myers (Jr., San Antonio, Texas) that just beat the shot clock buzzer. However, Myers committed her fourth foul on Colgate's ensuing trip down the floor which sent her to the bench. The Raiders took advantage of the absence of the 2009 Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year and were able to tie the game at 36-36 before taking a 47-40 lead on a field goal and foul shot from Katie Garman with 6:03 left to play.

Myers returned to the game after Garman's field goal and before her attempt from the charity stripe. During her absence of 9:09, Navy was 0-of-5 from the field, was sent to the foul line on four possessions and turned the ball over seven times.

"Angela's foul trouble in the second half really hurt us," said Navy head coach Stefanie Pemper. "To think we could go on the road to win a league game with K.C. out from an injury and Angela on the bench with foul trouble would have been wishful thinking on our part."

Coincidence or not, the Mids scored on Myers' first possession back when Beth Reed (Sr., Indianapolis, Ind.) drilled a three-point field goal that drew Navy to within 47-43. Both teams missed shots on each of their next two respective possessions, then the Raiders took a 49-43 lead when Kelly Korkowski hit a jumper at the four minute mark.

The Mids sliced their deficit in half when Bowen connected on a three-point field goal with three minutes left on the clock. After Katie Garman made a pair of free throws for Colgate, Myers drove the ball down the lane for a layup while being fouled. Her foul shot pulled the Mids to within 51-49 with 2:33 remaining in the game. The Navy defense then forced Colgate into a shot clock violation that returned the ball to the Mids. The ball found its way into the hands of Myers who again drive the lane and hit a leaning layup that knotted the score at 51-51 with 1:47 left to play.

The Raiders sent the ball into the lane and Tricia Oakes, who was fouled by Cassie Consedine (Jr., Bartlesville, Okla.). Oakes made the first free throw attempt to break the tie, but missed the second. The errant carom was quickly grabbed by Consedine.

Navy kept the ball on the perimeter during its next possession and soon Bowen let fly a shot from over 20 feet with a defender's hand coming at her. The shot went straight through the hoop and her sixth three-point field goal of the game gave the Mids a 54-52 lead with 1:20 left to play. Colgate would tie the game on a baseline shot from Kelly Korkowski with 57.7 seconds remaining in the game.

The Mids looked for Bowen again on their return trip down the court. She first tried a three-point attempt that was blocked by Korkowski. Bowen grabbed the ball and immediately drove to the basket. As she crossed into the lane she ran right into a Colgate defender. Bowen was called for a charging foul that gave the Raiders the ball with 38.6 seconds left to play.

Colgate took its time on offense before its head coach, Pam Bass, called timeout with 18.4 seconds left in the game and 10 seconds remaining on the shot clock. The Raiders inbounded the ball to Lynch who took the ball from the right sideline to the left side of the lane and straight to the hoop. Her leaning shot over Myers -- still in the game with four fouls -- went in to make the score 56-54 with 14.5 seconds remaining.

"Lynch is tough player who had a lot of confidence," said Pemper. "She took the ball right at our best defender on their last play."

Myers had the ball in her hands before passing it to Reed just inside the top of the key. Reed started to drive the ball into the lane before being stopped and attempting a pass to Consedine. Her attempt was intercepted by Katie Garman with about four seconds left. The Raiders were able to run out the remaining seconds of the game to record its first home league victory in three seasons.

Navy's offense was 9-of-23 from three-point ransge and 4-of-20 in its two-point attempts. Keeping the Mids in the game was their being able to sink 19-of-24 attempts from the foul line.

Conversely, Colgate's offense shot 40 percent from the field in the game, made 2-of-7 three-point attempts and converted 14-of-20 tries from the charity stripe.

In other team statistical comparisons, Navy held a 35-29 advantage in rebounds while Colgate committed 12 turnovers while forcing the Mids into 19 turnovers.

Bowen's six treys allowed her to score a career-high -- and Navy high this season -- 25 points in the game while also grabbing seven rebounds. Myers, meanwhile, tallied 13 points and hauled in a game-best eight caroms in 31 minutes of playing time.

"Kristin was terrific today," said Pemper. "She played with a lot of energy and had a lot of confidence. Her play and our team defense were our best bright spots of the afternoon."

Colgate was led in scoring by Garman with 16 points and Lynch with 13.

Saturday's game ended the first half of the Patriot League season for both teams. The Mids will open the second half of league play one week from today with a game at Bucknell.