Box Score SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. -- The Skidmore College women's basketball team was held off by Trinity College, 65-62, Saturday evening in the second game of the 38th Skidmore Invitational Tournament at the Williamson Sports Center.
 
The Thoroughbreds go to 0-1, while the Bantams move to 1-0.
 
Skidmore Freshman guard Kelly Donnelly posted a double-double, leading all scorers with 21 points and pulling down a game-high 12 rebounds. Angela Botiba added 12 points and nine boards and Amber Holgate chipped in with seven points and six rebounds off the bench.
 
The Thoroughbreds got out to a 10-2 lead to start the game, as Botiba and Donnelly rattled off four points each and Allie Keller added a layup. Trinity managed to pull within five just over six minutes into the half as Mackenzie Griffin converted on a layup and the ensuing free throw. Skidmore responded quickly, stringing together an 11-5 run and taking a 23-12 lead on a Donnelly jumper.
 
The Bantams continued to chip away at the lead and came back within two with a 12-3 run capped by a Melanie Mills layup, but the Thoroughbreds scored the final four points of the half to take a 30-24 lead into the break.
 
Molly McLaughlin hit a jumper to extend the Skidmore to eight, but Trinity put together a 10-4 run, tying the game at 38-38 on a Taylor Higgins 3-pointer. Skidmore responded with a 7-2 run with baskets from Migle Vilunaite and Holgate, but the Bantams hung tough, eventually taking a 56-52 lead with 6:18 to play after a pair of Mills free throws and three points from Higgins.
 
Holgate and Botiba provided a response for Skidmore, combining from 10-straight points to give Skidmore a 62-56 lead with 1:37 remaining. Sheena Landy's layup brought Trinity back within four with a layup and Kaitlin Lewis drilled a 3-pointer on the Bantams next possession to make it a one-point game. Bianca Brenz made two free throws pulling down a defensive rebound and made two more with 14 seconds remaining to put Trinity ahead 65-62. The Thoroughbreds had one last possession, but they could not find the shot they needed.
 
Higgins had a team-high 16 points for the Bantams to go along with five rebounds. Griffin had 15 points and a team-high nine rebounds and Christina Raiti had 10 points and five boards.
 
Skidmore shot 25-of-67 from the field and 2-of-8 from 3-point range, while Trinity was 23-of-60 from the floor and 5-of-14 from three.
 
The Thoroughbreds host the US Coast Guard Academy at 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 16.
 
 
Cortland holds off Coast Guard

SARATOGA SPRING, N.Y. – The SUNY Cortland women's basketball team battled to a 60-55 win over the US Coast Guard Academy in the opening game of the 2014 Skidmore Invitational, Saturday afternoon at the Williamson Sports Center.
 
The Bears led for the entire first half, twice taking an eight-point lead. Michelle Hernandez's jumped with 6:16 to play in the half put Coast Guard ahead 21-13, but the Red Dragons responded with a 7-0 run capped by a pair of Brittney Dumas free throws. Meghan Fornaro scored five points in the final four minutes of the period to give the Bears a 31-28 lead at the break.
 
Cortland fought back in the opening stages of the second half, eventually taking the lead on a Lindsey Minor layup. Fornaro hit a three to put Coast Guard back ahead 36-34, but the Erin Wolstenholme provided the response for the Red Dragons with a three of her own. 
 
The teams traded the lead over the final 10 minutes of play. Jamie Waterman gave the Bears a 55-52 lead with a free throw, but Cassidy Chapko hit a 3-pointer on the Red Dragons next possession. Dumas made one of two free throws with 52 seconds remaining to push Cortland in front, and Coast Guard could not make a shot down the stretch. The Red Dragons went 4-of-4 from the free throw line down the stretch to seal with 60-55 win.
 
Dumas recorded a double-double, leading all scorers with 22 points and 10 rebounds. Lindsey Minor had 10 points, three rebounds and three assists and Wolstenholme added eight points and nine boards.
 
Fornaro had a team-high 21 points on 8-of-13 shooting, and added a game-high seven rebounds and four assists.
 
 Cortland takes on Trinity at 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 16, while Coast Guard faces Skidmore at 2 p.m.