Schenectady, N.Y. – The Skidmore College women's basketball team gave top-seeded Union College all it could handle, but the Dutchwomen rallied in the second half to pull away and take a 61-51 win in the semifinal round the Liberty League playoff tournament at Union College Friday night.
The Thoroughbreds end the season with an 11-15 record.
Union will play number two seed St. Lawrence tomorrow in the championship game.
Skidmore came out emphatically in the first half as the Thoroughbreds charged to an 18-11 lead with 8:34 left in the stanza off of a three-pointer from junior Amber Kinsey (Troy, N.Y./Lansingburg). Kinsey's trey was the fifth three-pointer for Skidmore in the first 11:28 of play.
Union inched back as they used a 7-0 run to tie the score 18-18. Sharlyn Harper (New York, N.Y) gave the visitors a three-point lead with a three pointer before a Union foul shot and a jumper left the score tied at the half, 21-21.
Senior Laura Michel (Middle Village, N.Y.) took a nice feed from Christine Kemp (Putnam Valley, N.Y.) 33 seconds into the second half to give Skidmore a two-point edge, but the Dutchwomen then went on a 17-6 run to take a nine point lead, 38-29, with 12:11 remaining.
The Thoroughbreds did not give in as they pushed to come within four points, 52-48, off of three pointers from Harper and freshman Megan Gaugler (Amsterdam, N.Y.), but Union would hit nine free-throws in the final 1:12 to take the 61-51 decision.
“The seniors did not want the season to end, and they had a lot of fight in them,” said head coach Darren Bennett. “They set us up to battle, and we never quit on each other.”
Skidmore out-rebounded Union, 45-41, and held them to just 21.2% shooting in the first half. The Dutchwomen benefitted from 26 Thoroughbred turnovers while hitting 7-16 from three-point range and 18-29 from the foul line.
Harper had a team-high 12 points to lead the Thoroughbreds. Michel finished with six points and six rebounds, while junior Dana Leonard added seven points and nine rebounds.
Senior Michelle Rogers (Clarence, N.Y.) had a game-high 14 points to pace the Dutchwomen.
