Late Jumper Downs Women's Basketball, 59-57

AURORA, N.Y. – With the score tied at 57 in the game's waning seconds, a jumper by the visitors from Gallaudet University downed the Wells College women's basketball team by a 59-57 score on Sunday at the Farenthold Athletic Wing. Wells (12-8, 8-5 NEAC) snaps a two-game winning streak with the result while the Bison move to 10-9 and 9-6 within the league.

Junior Ashida Cooper (Bensalem, Pa.) led her team with 19 points and nine rebounds, chipping in with three steals. Freshman Shelby Medovich (Harpursville, N.Y.) also recorded three takeaways, scoring 13 points while collecting four rebounds. Sophomore Kamarie Maturine (Brooklyn, N.Y.) hauled in eight rebounds while scoring four points – she also added a team-best two blocks.

With her team down by three, 56-53, with 1:11 left in regulation time, Medovich pulled up and buried a shot that cut the Wells deficit to one point. A three-point miss by Gallaudet preceded a time out by the Bison, allowing Wells to set up an inbound play. The Express, however, immediately turned the ball over with 33 seconds left.

Sent to the line after an Express foul, Sabina Shysh hit her first free throw but missed the back end, allowing Cooper to collect a rebound and take it coast-to-coast to knot the score at 57 with 20 seconds left. With possession in favor of the Bison, the guests carried the ball up the court and delayed a shot until the last possible moments. With one step into the three-point arc, Zamica Gage connected on a difficult shot to lift her team to the 59-57 victory.

Wells led by a 47-36 score with 1:33 left in the third quarter, but Gallaudet mounted an impressive comeback with a 11-0 run to tie the score at 47 with 7:39 left in regulation time. Maturine put Wells up ahead by a 48-47 margin with a free throw, but Gallaudet took the lead after a layup from Danielle Morris with 6:32 left. The Bison would hold on to two-separate three-point leads down the stretch.

Gage led Gallaudet with 18 points and seven assists, shooting 8-for-21 from the floor. Morris and Shysh each scored 14 points, rounding out the double-digit scorers.

Wells returns to action Wednesday, Feb. 10, traveling to Keuka College for a 8 p.m. NEAC contest at the Weed Physical Arts Center.