The Utica College women's basketball team (3-0) led the entire contest on its way to a 71-51 victory over cross-town rival SUNYIT (1-1) in the championship game of the 2009 Utica College Tip Off Tournament at the Clark Athletic Center Saturday. Junior forward Jessica Berry netted 26 points and grabbed 17 rebounds en route to earning All-Tournament Team honors. Berry needs just two points to become the eighth player in program-history to score 1,000 or more points. Classmate Devon Croll netted 14 points and added six assists as she earned Tournament Most Valuable Player honors.
Berry scored the Pioneers first 11 points and spotted UC an 11-4 lead 3:52 into the first half of play. The Wildcats answered with a 7-2 run to cut the Pioneer lead to as few as two, 13-11, with 13:39 to go in the first half, but that was as close as they would get. The Pioneers responded with a 17-2 run over the course of the next 9:21 to take a 17 point lead, 30-13, with 4:17 left to go in the first half.
The lead extended to as many as 31 points, 58-27, at the 13:20 mark of the second half after UC opened the second half on a 16-4 run. The Wildcats were able to shave 14 points off that lead, 64-47, with 6:33 to go in the contest but Utica was able to remain focused and earned the 20 point victory by the end of the contest.
Taylor Topping led the way for SUNYIT with 14 points and seven rebounds, while all-tournament team selection Lyndsey Brognano added ten points off the bench.
Junior Stephanie Nara and senior Jessica Snyder each pitched in with ten points for Utica, while freshman Meghan Fiore added nine points as well.
Utica returns to action on Nov. 30th against local rival Hamilton College. Tip off is set for 7 p.m. at Scott Field House in Clinton, N.Y.
All-Tournament Team
Rutgers Camden - #44 Karima Blackwell
Keystone College - #5 Ellan Fallon
SUNYIT - #14 Caitlyn Cottell
SUNYIT - #40 Lyndsey Brognano
Utica College - #33 Jessica Berry
Utica College - #11 Devon Croll – Tournament MVP
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