Hoboken, NJ (Feb, 15, 2009) - The Utica College women's basketball team led by as many as seven points with 7:07 left in the contest but Stevens rallied late and snapped the Pioneers' 11-game winning streak with a 62-57 victory in Empire 8 Conference play Sunday. UC's last lost (Jan. 13th) came at the hands of Stevens. Jessica Berry netted a game-high 20 points for Utica.
UC drops to 11-3 in conference play with the loss and maintains its position in second place in the Empire 8. The Pioneers, winners of 12 of their last 14 games, fall to 17-6 overall on the season. Stevens advances its record to 18-5 overall, with four of those losses coming in conference play. The Ducks had lost their last two games by one point apiece headed into Sunday's match-up with the Pioneers.
Stevens jumped out a nine point lead after an 11-0 run over the course of 4:32 and the Ducks led 20-11 with 8:29 to go in the first half of play. Sophomore guard Devon Croll paced a 9-2 run for the Pioneers with seven points of her own on 3-of-3 shooting from the floor in the next 2:56 of play to cut the Ducks lead to just two points, 22-20, with 5:33 left in the half. Stevens was able to extend its lead back to 10 points,36-26, with 1:14 left in the half after a 14-6 run, but the Pioneers scored the half's final five points and the Ducks led by just five as the halftime buzzer sounded.
UC opened the second half on a 17-7 run to take a five point lead, its largest of the game, after Katie McGee knocked down two free throws with 9:10 left in the contest. The Ducks answered with an 8-0 run over the course of 1:57 and led by three points, 53-50, with 5:10 to go in the game. The Pioneers would tie the contest up one more time with 4:55 left but the Ducks outscored UC 8-3 in the final five minutes to capture the victory.
Devon Croll netted 13 points and grabbed four steals for UC, while freshman point guard Katie McGee added 10 points and hauled in five rebounds. The Pioneers starting five combined for 49 of the teams' 57 total points. Utica won the turnover battle 19-13.
All –Conference guard Dani Dudek led the way for the Ducks with a team-high 15 points and she also snagged a game-high nine rebounds. Melissa Collier and Brittany Fuller combined for 22 points and 10 rebounds.
The Pioneers travel to St. John Fisher College Friday for a conference match-up against the Cardinals at 6 p.m.
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