MORRISVILLE, N.Y. – The Morrisville State College women's basketball team withstood a late fourth quarter Nittany Lion rally Sunday afternoon to sweep the weekend action, as they picked up a 69-65 North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) victory over visiting Penn St. Abington on their home court in Morrisville.
The win lifts Morrisville State to 12-9, 10-3 in NEAC play, while Abington falls to 11-9, 6-6 within conference action.
Sophomore Tori Rockefeller (Bloomville, N.Y.) drained five from beyond the arc as she posted 22 total points to lead the Mustangs, adding three assists and six rebounds to her afternoon totals. Senior Haley Kilmartin (Fort Plain, N.Y.) added 14, seven in the final quarter, while snagging six rebounds.
Charlotte Walker (Middle Island, N.Y.) came off the bench to contribute 15 points, including a critical bucket to stop a Nittany Lion run in the fourth.
Grace Dewey led Abington with 22 points while collecting 18 rebounds for the double-double, and turning away six blocked shots. Shayna Rodriguez chipped in 19, four three's, adding eight rebounds as the Nittany Lions edged the Mustangs on the glass 48-44.
A 21 point second quarter for Morrisville State gave them the 35-28 advantage at the break, adding to their total in the third to lead 52-42 after three.
Kilmartin drained a three early in the fourth to extend the host lead to 13, and added a free throw a minute later for the 56-42 lead, but Abington rallied with a 10-3 run to cut the deficit to seven with 5:29 to go.
A layup by Walker, followed by a three-point play by Kilmartin regained the double-digit lead for the Mustangs, 64-52, with 3:17 to go, but the Nittany Lions clawed their way back into the contest hitting three straight from long range, making it a three point ball game with under a minute to play.
Rockefeller added two from the free throw line and Campbell two more with 12 seconds to go, but Dewey nailed one from beyond the arc with four seconds to go making it a one possession game.
Rockefeller sealed the win hitting the front end of two from the free throw line for the Mustangs.
Morrisville State hit nine three's throughout the afternoon, and forced 16 turnovers, collecting 18 points.
The Mustangs return to the court for the home finale Wednesday, hosting SUNY Polytechnic at 7 p.m. in Morrisville.
Morrisville State College's curricula are enriched with applied learning and pave the way for opportunity at both the Morrisville and Norwich campuses. An action-oriented, interactive learning lab, the college is a national leader in technology and has been lauded for its exemplary, innovative and effective community service programs.
The college was ranked among the Best Regional Colleges in the North by U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges 2018 issue and was also recognized in the Top Public Schools, Regional Colleges North in the 2018 Best Colleges rankings. For more information about Morrisville State College, visit www.morrisville.edu.
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