Skidmore vs. Cortland Box

Consolation Box

Saratoga Springs, N.Y. – The SUNY Cortland women's basketball team held off a mid-second half run by Skidmore College to prevail, 77-62, in the championship game of the 31st Annual Skidmore Women's Basketball Invitational Tournament Sunday at the Sports and Recreation Center.

In the consolation game, Misericordia gained its first win of the season with a 66-42 win over Western New England College.

Red Dragon junior forward Jessica Laing (Bloomville, N.Y.) was named tournament MVP after scoring 16 of her game-high 25 points in the second half, while pulling down 12 rebounds for her second straight double-double. 

Cortland led for most of the contest, including a 38-33 lead at the intermission,  until the Thoroughbreds went on an 11-0 second-half run to tie the score at 59 off of a three-pointer by junior Sharlyn Harper (New York, N.Y.) with 7:49 left to play. 

Skidmore senior Kellye Caufield (Monroe, Conn.) hit three free-throws in the final seven minutes but that was all that the Red Dragons would allow as they continued to put on the pressure the rest of the way and went on to the 77-62 victory. 

Cortland shot a solid 23-55 from the field and a red-hot 27-30 from the free throw line, while holding the Thoroughbreds to 27.8 percent shooting.   

All-tournament team selection Maggie Byrne (Pearl River, N.Y.) scored 23 points for Cortland, going 9-10 from the free-throw line and 4-9 from three-point range.  Byrne also added six assists and nine rebounds in the win.

Joining the all-tournament team for Skidmore was senior Laura Michel (Middle Village, N.Y.), who collected a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds, and Harper, who finished with 16 points and seven rebounds off the bench.

In the consolation game,  Misericordia became hot in the second half, hitting 9-25 from the field and 20-27 (74.1 %) from the free-throw line in the half.  Misericordia held the Golden Bears to just 21.3 percent shooting (13-61) during the contest, while forcing 21 WNEC turnovers. 

Cougar guard Lindsey Sykes (Avalon, N.J.) made the all-tournament team after pacing Misericordia with nine points, 10 rebounds, and nine assists.  Freshman Christine Marks (Milford, Pa.) tallied her first collegiate double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds in the win.

For Western New England, freshman Sarah Proper (Coxsackie, N.Y.) was named to the all-tournament team after scoring seven points and pulling down six rebounds.  Junior Kailah Al-Darraji (Dover, N.H.) also added seven points in the loss.