DELHI, NY - The Villa Maria women's basketball team overcame a 13-point second half deficit to pick up its first Northeastern Intercollegiate Athletics Conference (NIAC) win of the season, a 71-68 victory over the Fisher College Falcons on Saturday afternoon.
In a neutral site game on the campus of SUNY Delhi, Villa out-scored Fisher 40-26 over the final 20 minutes to complete the comeback and get back in the win column. Junior
Shaquana Owens (Buffalo, NY/Tapestry Charter School) led the way with 26 points and 13 rebounds, while senior guard
Dominique Davis (Buffalo, NY/Genesee Community College) and sophomore
Bianca Brown (Niagara Falls, NY/Jamestown Community College) each added 14.
Villa jumped out to an early 12-0 lead but surrendered a 20-2 run to close the quarter. Fisher clung to the lead for the remainder of the half and lead by 11 at the break. After pushing the lead to as many as 13 in the second half, the Vikings closed within two to end the third quarter. Villa took a one-point lead, 58-57 with 6:24 left after an offensive rebound and put-back by senior
Clarissa Walker (Rochester, NY/Genesee Community College). They pushed the lead to six with 3:10 left after back-to-back triples by Owens and Brown. Fisher responded, tying the game with 2:10 left, but Villa scored the last three points, all free throws, to seal the win.
Both Owens and Brown recorded their second double-doubles of the season. Owens finished with 13 boards while Brown had 11. Villa improves to 2-1 and 1-1 in the NIAC while Fisher suffers its first loss of the season, falling to 2-1 and 0-1 in the NIAC.
BOX SCORE
Villa Maria Vikings (2-1, 1-1Â NIAC)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 31 - 40 -- 81
Fisher Falcons (2-1, 0-1 NIAC)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 42 - 26 -- 78
INSIDE THE BOX
* Villa finished with 13 assists on 26 made baskets
* Villa out-rebounded Fisher 57-45 and 22-20 on the offensive glass
* Villa shot 10-17 from the free throw line and Fisher was 13-20
* Villa held fisher to 2-16 shooting in the fourth quarter and 7-34 for the second half
* Villa sophomore
Nina Cray (Wheatland, IA/Calamus-Wheatland) finished with six points and eight rebounds
* Walker finished with seven points and seven boards
* Sophomore
Tekia Gary (Washington, D.C./Genesee Community College) came off the bench to score four points and grab six rebounds
* Villa overcame 29 turnovers. They forced 21.
WHAT THEY SAID
HC
Al Monaco "We really fought to pull this one out. We played with a short bench in the second half and our players overcame adversity. This was a good end to our road trip."
UP NEXT
Villa will travel to take on Alfred State on the 15th before taking part in the Cole's Classic hosted by Buffalo State on the 17th and 18th.
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