HOBOKEN, N.J. – Senior forward Vanessa Williams (Forest Hills, N.Y./Townsend Harris) scored 15 points and pulled down seven rebounds to lead Stevens Institute of Technology to a 63-37 win over SUNY-Old Westbury on Senior Night in a Skyline Conference women’s basketball game at the Canavan Arena.
After two ties and six lead changes in the first 11 minutes, Stevens (13-11, 8-3 Skyline) took the lead for good, 14-13, on a 3-pointer by sophomore Jaime Mehnert (Waldwick, N.J./Waldwick) with 8:42 left in the first half. Old Westbury (9-16, 2-10 Skyline) then went cold from the floor, scoring just one basket in the final nine minutes of the half. The Ducks took advantage as Mehnert’s 3-pointer ignited a 22-2 run that gave Stevens a 33-15 lead at the break. Williams, who scored 11 points in the opening period, had six of the final eight points during that stretch.
Old Westbury, which shot just 25.5 percent for the game (13-for-51), was never able to cut into the Stevens lead in the second half. The Ducks also forced the Panthers into 33 turnovers. Junior guard Aracely Cruz (Union City, N.J./Union Hill) had five steals to go along with her nine points.
Williams was the only Stevens player in double figures as 12 of the 13 Ducks entered the scoring column. For the second straight game, the bench, which accounted for 36 points, outscored the starting five. Freshman forward Jenna Gambino (Staten Island, N.Y./St. John Villa Academy) had seven points, six rebounds and three blocked shots.
All four seniors earned starts in their final regular-season home game for Stevens. Williams and guard Mia Molfino (Ellicott City, Md./Mount Hebron) were joined in the starting lineup by first-time starters Alicia Licata (Brooklyn, N.Y./Lab School) and Christine Oloruntola (Jamaica, N.Y./Forest Hills).
Old Westbury was led by sophomore forward Christine Squillante who finished with 14 points and eight rebounds. Junior forward Stephanie Cumberbatch added six points and 10 rebounds. Sophomore guard Armelia Henderson had a game-high eight assists.
Stevens closes out it regular season on Sunday, February 23, with a 2 p.m. make-up game at Manhattanville. The game was originally scheduled for February 20 but was postponed due to snow.
