The ±¬×ß³Ô¹Ï women's basketball team saw a double-digit 2nd half lead disappear but was able to score the games final five points to earn a 73-69 victory over Mercyhurst North East in a key Region III Division II contest. The sweet Valentine's Day victory improves the Lady Pioneers to 14-8 overall and 5-3 in RIII DII while MNE is 13-5 overall and 6-1 in RIII DII play.
The Lady Pioneers led 33-31 at half but was able to build a 61-46 lead with just under ten minutes left in the contest. For the next eight minutes, the Lady Saints clawed their way back into the game and took a 69-68 lead with 56 seconds left. Hailey Witchella (Oxford Academy) gave the Pioneers the lead for good with 39 seconds when she hit a shot in the post. Amie Brooks (Pavilion) sealed the victory for the blue & gold by hitting 3 of 4 foul shots in the final seconds.
Witchella had a monster night finishing 27 points and 22 rebounds. Brooks added 22, Carriola Chambers (Manhattan/Facing History) chipped in eight points and six steals, and Nuri Bey (Bronx/HS of Computers & Technology) had six points and 12 rebounds.
Lenay Simms led the Lady Saints with 21 points. MNE finished with four players in double figures.
±¬×ß³Ô¹Ï returns to action on Thursday when they step out of Region play for a 5:30 p.m. home contest vs. Roberts Wesleyan JV.
Newspaper Box Score
±¬×ß³Ô¹Ï College vs Mercyhurst NE
2/14/12 5:30PM at North East, PA
At North East, PA
ALFRED STATE COLLEGE 73, MERCYHURST NE 69
ALFRED STATE COLLEGE (14-8, 5-3 WNYAC)
Witchella, Haley 11-25 5-6 27; Brooks, Amie 7-12 5-9 22; Chambers, Carriola
3-3 2-2 8; Bey, Nuri 3-8 0-0 6; Hudson, Ardaisha 2-2 1-2 5; Romero, Camille
1-19 1-2 3; Walton, Tiffany 1-2 0-0 2; Rogers, Kyara 0-0 0-0 0; Brito,
Destiny 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 28-73 14-21 73.
MERCYHURST NE (13-5, 6-1 WNYAC)
Lenay Simms 6-16 8-9 21; Darnesha Tomlinson 6-19 6-6 19; Sharika McGill 6-14
0-0 12; Johnesha Warren 5-13 1-2 11; Paula Harrison 1-6 0-0 3; Takeisha
Harden 0-1 2-2 2; Brittany Campbell 0-3 1-2 1. Totals 24-72 18-21 69.
±¬×ß³Ô¹Ï College.......... 33 40 - 73
Mercyhurst NE................. 31 38 - 69
3-point goals--±¬×ß³Ô¹Ï College 3-10 (Brooks, Amie 3-6; Romero, Camille
0-3; Walton, Tiffany 0-1), Mercyhurst NE 3-19 (Darnesha Tomlinson 1-8; Paula
Harrison 1-6; Lenay Simms 1-1; Takeisha Harden 0-1; Brittany Campbell 0-1;
Johnesha Warren 0-2). Fouled out--±¬×ß³Ô¹Ï College-Hudson, Ardaisha,
Mercyhurst NE-None. Rebounds--±¬×ß³Ô¹Ï College 57 (Witchella, Haley 22),
Mercyhurst NE 43 (Johnesha Warren 12). Assists--±¬×ß³Ô¹Ï College 11
(Romero, Camille 5), Mercyhurst NE 13 (Lenay Simms 7). Total fouls--Alfred
State College 16, Mercyhurst NE 13. Technical fouls--±¬×ß³Ô¹Ï
College-None, Mercyhurst NE-TEAM.