Bridgeport Edges Past Women's Basketball, 51-45
Box Score
BROOKVILLE, N.Y. (Jan. 10, 2011) – Elinor Avny and Kelly Keil each scored 14 points to lead the University of Bridgeport past C.W. Post, 51-45, in an East Coast Conference women's basketball clash at the Pratt Recreation Center.
Bridgeport rebounds from Saturday's loss to St. Thomas Aquinas and improves to 6-8 overall and 4-3 in ECC action. Meanwhile, the loss snaps a one-game win streak for C.W. Post as it drops to 6-6 overall and 4-3 in the conference.
Bridgeport opened the game with five unanswered points with baskets from Elsebeth Birman and Julia Colley followed up by a layup from Ivana Savic.
The Pioneers scored their first basket at the 18-minute mark when sophomore forward
Nicolette Marciniak (Brooklyn, N.Y.) scored on a fast break layup.
Bridgeport responded with a 10-point burst that began with a quick layup from Keil at 17:47 and ended with an 8-foot jumper from Keil at the 14-minute mark. From there, the Purple Knights maintained a double-figure lead for the remainder of the half and went to the locker room with a 29-19 lead. Avny led all scorers with 10 points.
In the second half, C.W. Post slimmed the lead down to six when junior guard
Felicia Joyner (Lindenhurst, N.Y.) converted a pair of free throws at 19:10 and banked an 8-ft jumper from the left side at 18:38.
The Purple Knights pulled away with an 8-point spurt to increase its lead to 37-23 with 16:10 left to play.
The Pioneers battled with a 10-3 run of their own that whittled the lead to seven (40-33) that was capped off by a layup from Marciniak at 11:31.
Bridgeport stretched its advantage to 15 with another 8-point run before senior guard
Janea Aiken (St. Albans, N.Y.) swished a long three from the left wing. She also added two free throws at 7:05. Neither team added another basket until Marciniak converted a free throw at 5:24. Birman answered on the next Purple Knight possession with a layup underneath to boost Bridgeport's lead to 11 (50-39) with 4:51 to play.
It seemed C.W. Post finally found its bearings in the game as they rattled off six straight points, including two layups from Marciniak and free throws from Aiken. But the rally would not hold and the Pioneers could not find another basket for the remainder of the game.
Avny closed out the game converting one of two free shots at the 6-second mark.
Bridgeport finished the game shooting .352 (19 of 54) from field goal range and got help with 22 points off the bench. C.W. Post shot .283 (17 of 60) from the field and outrebounded Bridgeport, 45-37.
Birman finished the game with 10 points and eight rebounds and Keil added 10 rebounds to finish with a double-double for Bridgeport. She also recorded nine blocks. Ivana Savic added nine thefts in the game.
Aiken led the Pioneers with 15 points and six rebounds along with two steals and two assists. Marciniak and Joyner each scored 10 points. Marciniak grabbed eight rebounds and freshman guard
Shayna Gatling (Baldwin, N.Y.) added seven rebounds.
C.W. Post is back in action when it hosts Mercy College on Thursday at a 5 p.m.