Women's Basketball Storms Past Keuka, 55-44

AURORA, N.Y. – Trailing after three quarters of play, the Wells College women's basketball team overwhelmed Keuka College in the fourth quarter to capture a 55-44 conference victory on Saturday. With the win, Wells moves to 7-4 overall on the year and to 3-1 within the North Eastern Athletic Conference. Keuka falls to 2-7 on the season and to 1-3 within league play.

Outscoring the Wolfpack by an impressive 23-to-8 margin in the fourth quarter, Wells moves to 3-1 against Keuka dating back to a 76-68 win on Feb. 22, 2014, the first-ever victory against its Finger Lakes-rival.

Senior Holli Erkson (Cooperstown, N.Y.) scored 20 points for Wells for the third game this season while pouring home four three-point baskets for the Express. Junior Ashida Cooper (Bensalem, Pa.) scored 14 points for Wells, racking up six takeaways and four assists to lead the team in both statistics.

Keuka opened the game strong, extending its game-high lead to eight points with 1:27 left in the first quarter. Ahead 14-6 at that point, Wells countered with a 10-0 run that was capped by a Cooper jumper to give her team the lead at 16-14 with 6:52 left in the opening half. A clutch three-point basket by freshman Vielka Barber (Holly Springs, N.C.) catapulted Wells into the lead, 23-22, with 22 seconds left in the opening stanza, but Keuka answered with a jumper with four seconds left to take the halftime lead.

Trailing 36-30 with 3:11 left in the third quarter, Wells would go on to score 25 of the game's next 31 points over the next 12:37. A layup by freshman Shelby Medovich (Harpursville, N.Y.) with 7:45 to go in regulation preceded a fastbreak layup by Erkson that came before a three-point basket less than a minute later, creating a five-point cushion down the stretch.

An additional Erkson three-pointer found the bottom of the net with 2:14 left, creating a 48-40 advantage for Wells, and Cooper added a layup and back-to-back free throw makes with under 1:21 to go to add insurance for the Express. In the final 10 minutes alone, Wells shot 9-for-16 from the floor (56.3%) while Keuka was limited to only one made field goal in 11 chances.

Lauren Anten led Keuka with 13 points and 10 rebounds, tallying a team-best five steals. Katie Stuart was the other double-digit point scorer for the Wolfpack, shooting 6-for-8 from the free throw line.

Wells returns to action Tuesday, Jan. 12 as it hosts the Wildcats from Cazenovia College in a 2 p.m. contest at the Farenthold Athletic Wing.