SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.— A gritty Skidmore College women's basketball team overcame a 23-point deficit to beat previously unbeaten Williams College 60-58 in a non-league contest Tuesday night at the Williamson Center.
 
The Thoroughbreds move to 1-2 on the season, while the Ephs are 4-1.
 
Seniors Caite Opfer, Veronica Moceri, and Kelly Donnelly combined for 46 points, 32 in the second half, to lead Skidmore.
 
Opfer had 14 points, four rebounds, three blocks, and three steals. Moceri finished with 13 points, three assists, and eight rebounds (five offensive). Donnelly had the double/double with 19 points and 10 rebounds to go along with three assists and four steals.
 
Emily Chang led Williams with 17 points. Amanni Fernandez added 14 points and five assists.
 
The Ephs opened the game with a 9-0 run on the way to 19-7 first quarter lead.  Williams used a 10-0 streak to extend the advantage to 23, 35-12 with 3:13 to play in the second quarter.
 
Donnelly stopped the run with a basket at 3:05. It was only the second bucket of the night for the All-American, but set her up for a big second half. Moceri's jumper as time expired, cut it to 37-18 at the half.
 
The third quarter was all Skidmore. The Thoroughbreds outscored the Ephs 26-8 in the stanza to pull within one, 45-44. Moceri and Donnelly scored seven points each in the quarter, while Opfer had five. Lilly Berg went 4-4 from the line. Moceri scored four second chance points on two offensive rebounds. Donnelly and Opfer both turned steals into key baskets.
 
Skidmore started the fourth quarter with three chances to take the lead, before Opfer came up with a big offensive rebound and put back for the team's first lead of the game 46-45 with 7:12 to play.   Donnelly sunk a pair of free throws to give the Thoroughbreds their biggest lead of the game, 53-48 with 4:13 to play.
 
Williams tied it 55-55 on an Emily Peckham put-back with 2:14 to play.  The Ephs looked to take the lead, but Opfer had her second block of the game on a Williams layup attempt. She grabbed the rebound and got the ball to Donnelly who fed Ari Fuistini for a deep three pointer with 1:28 left.
 
Williams missed consecutive threes before Donnelly snagged a rebound and scored with :28 seconds left for a 60-55 advantage. Opfer had another block with 11 seconds left to preserve the five-point lead. Chang hit a three at the buzzer for the Ephs for the 60-58 final.
 
Following a 23.5 percent field goal performance in the first half, Skidmore went 9-15 (.600) in the third quarter and 15-33 (.455) in the second half. The Thoroughbred defense came through in the second half, holding Williams to 8-27 (.292) from floor after the Ephs shot 52 percent in the first half.

 "Tonight's win was something special," said Skidmore coach Darren Bennett. "To make a comeback run of that size is really unheard of especially after two really tough losses to begin the season. To be down by 20 points in the first half and never quit says volumes about our team pride and industriousness.
 
"We've been talking a lot about having some bite and showing some grit and tonight we did that. Our teams and players have always been fighters and warriors but tonight to watch them energize one another against a very talented team was something special. We really stepped up on the offensive boards and took care of business in the second half on post defense and defending the three ball.
 
"They scored 35 points in the paint and from three in the first half. In the second half we wanted to focus on taking away or at least effecting the post points and making it tougher to get off clean three point looks and it clearly made a big difference. 
 
"We played the way we were expected to play in the second half and if we build positively off of the second twenty minutes tonight our journey ahead will be what we want it to be."

Following three straight games against New England Small College Athletic Conference teams, Skidmore starts Liberty League play at home Friday at 6 p.m. against St. Lawrence and then Clarkson on Saturday at 2 p.m.