Women's Basketball Outlasted By Plattsburgh, 69-45
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL OUTLASTED BY
PLATTSBURGH STATE, 69-45
IN WPI INVITATIONAL THIRD PLACE GAME
WORCESTER, MA, Dec. 31, 2006 - Elms College freshman guard Taeler Connor (Ayer, MA) scored a collegiate career-high 10 points, but Plattsburgh State had three players reach double figures and used a big run midway through the game to pull away to a 69-45 non-conference women's basketball win over the Blazers in the third place game of the 2006 WPI Invitational at Harrington Auditorium.
Freshman guard Annie Dunnack (Mansfield Center, CT) added nine points and sophomore forward Paige Schneider (Windsor, CT) was named to the All-Tournament team for the Blazers, who lost their fourth straight game and fell to 3-7. Plattsburgh State improved to 2-7.
Despite missing sophomore guard Jenn Payton (Stratford, CT) (injury), freshman forward Amanda Brogna (Oxford, MA) (illness), and freshman guard Ally Wanat (West Springfield, MA) (illness), the Blazers' played tenacious defense and led for much of the first half.
Following a 13-7 run by Elms College in the game's opening 10 minutes, Plattsburgh State battled back with an 11-1 run of its own over the next 2:46 to grab an 18-14 lead.
Sophomore guard Tee Nazario (Bronx, NY) responded with a layup and 3-pointer over the next four minutes to help the Blazers reclaim a 19-18 lead.
Freshman forward Casey Clark (Athens, NY) and sophomore guard Vanessa Arthurton (Troy, NY) combined for six free throws over the final two minutes of the half and junior guard Jacee Sutton (St. Albans, VT) drained a wide-open 15-foot jumper in the closing seconds to extend the Cardinals' lead to 26-19 at intermission.
Elms College limited Plattsburgh State to just 25.8-percent
shooting from the field (8 for 31) in the opening half, but
committed 15 first half turnovers.
Plattsburgh State ran its lead to 42-26 5:25 into the second half, and from there, Elms College was never able to cut the deficit closer than 11.
The Cardinals converted 31 Elms College turnovers into 25 points in the win.