Mia Molfino sank back-to-back 3-pointers during an 11-0 run in the first half. |
HOBOKEN, N.J. – Senior forward Vanessa Williams (Forest Hills, N.Y./Townsend Harris) and junior guard Aracely Cruz (Union City, N.J./Union Hill) scored 15 points each to lead Stevens Institute of Technology to a 66-46 win over SUNY-Old Westbury on Tuesday in the quarterfinals of the Skyline Conference women’s basketball tournament.
Stevens advances to the semifinals where it will face second-seeded Manhattanville on Thursday, February 27, in Purchase, N.Y. The Ducks lost to the Valiants last Sunday, 63-53 in the regular-season finale. Manhattanville defeated seventh-seeded Kings Point.
Stevens struggled from the floor, shooting just 30 percent (24-for-80), but the Ducks held the Panthers to just 29.3 percent shooting (17-for-58) and also forced Old Westbury into 30 turnovers.
Stevens never trailed in the game. Old Westbury pulled to within 17-16 on a driving layup by sophomore guard Armela Henderson with 8:55 left in the half. Following a 30-second timeout, the Ducks went on an 11-0 run, keyed by back-to-back 3-pointers from senior guard Mia Molfino (Ellicott City, Md./Mount Hebron). Cruz added a conventional three-point play and Williams capped the run with a layup to give Stevens a 28-16 lead with 5:14 left in the half.
Old Westbury, which trailed 33-20 at halftime, never got closer than 11 points in the second half. Stevens, leading 50-36 with 9:24 left, used a 12-0 spurt in five minutes to put the game away.
Freshman forward Jenna Gambino (Staten Island, N.Y./St. John Villa Academy) also finished in double figures for Stevens with 10 points. Williams pulled down a team-high 12 rebounds for her ninth double-double of the season. Freshman Emily Weaver (Prince Frederick, Md./Calverton School) had eight points and five rebounds off the bench.
Sophomore forward Christina Squillante led all scorers with 23 points and also pulled down nine rebounds for Old Westbury. She was the only Panther player with more than six points. Junior center Stephanie Cumberbatch pulled down 12 rebounds.
