Second Half Charge Lifts Women's Basketball vs. Cazenovia

Second Half Charge Lifts Women's Basketball vs. Cazenovia

AURORA, N.Y. – The Wells College women's basketball team was tied with the Wildcats of Cazenovia College at halftime, but a strong second half outburst lifted the Express to a 73-68 victory Saturday afternoon at the Farenthold Athletic Wing. With the victory, Wells improves to 6-10 overall and to 5-6 within the North Eastern Athletic Conference. Cazenovia (7-10, 5-5 NEAC) evens their league record at 5-5.

Five Wells players reached double-digit point scoring, led by freshman Kamarie Maturine (Brooklyn, N.Y.) and her 16 team points. Junior Lindsay Achzet (Johnstown, N.Y.) registered 12 points and hauled in 10 rebounds for a double-double while junior Holli Erkson (Cooperstown, N.Y.), senior Jessilyn Artaho-Aki (Kapa'a, Hawaii) and junior Brooke Benedetto (Williamstown, N.Y.) each posted 10 points.

The Express opened up an 11-4 lead early in the game following a Cassie Smythe (Eden, N.Y.) three-point basket with 16:34 left. The Wildcats, however, would rally to score the first half's final five points in the final minute of play to knot the score at 34 entering the locker room. The big shot in the stanza's final minute came off the hands of Skylar Girard as she bombed a trey with 50 seconds to go.

Back-to-back foul shots by Girard only 2:42 into the second half placed Cazenovia up by a 40-37 score, but the Express rallied back with a 9-0 run that was highlighted by an Erkson three-point basket with 16:34 left in the second frame. Following a fast break basket by Maturine with 14:17 left, however, Megan Plahanski hit back-to-back shots from beyond the arc to shrink the deficit to 50-49.

Cazenovia would not let the Express post a lead larger than six points down the stretch and actually cut the score to 66-65 with 1:47 left. Wells, however, scored seven of the game's next 10 points and limited the Wildcats to only three foul shots in the final 29 seconds to capture the victory.

Girard led Cazenovia with 21 total points while Mary Salo picked up 13 points off the bench for the visitors. Girard also posted four assists while Kali Davis registered four takeaways.

Wells returns to action Monday, Feb. 2 as they welcome Hilbert to the Farenthold Athletic Wing at 6 p.m.