Syracuse, N.Y. – Sophomore guard
McKayla Roberts (North Syracuse, N.Y./Cicero-North Syracuse) nailed a go-ahead three-pointer with 10.5 seconds left to lift the Le Moyne College women's basketball team to a 70-67 victory over American International College in the Northeast-10 Conference opener for both teams on Wednesday evening at Ted Grant Court.
Roberts finished the contest with 14 points, all of which she scored in the second half, while dishing out eight assists and grabbing three rebounds. Senior forward
Joanna Dobrovosky (Skaneateles, N.Y./Skaneateles) led the Dolphins in scoring with 18 points, including 10 after halftime, while blocking six shots and pulling down five rebounds. Senior forward
Corinne Poitevien (Bardonia, N.Y./Paramus Catholic (N.J.)) tallied 10 points and a team-best seven rebounds, including five offensive.
All-America forward Dana Watts led the Yellow Jackets in the loss with 31 points and 13 rebounds, which included 18 points and seven rebounds in the second half. Nadia Wooten was the second Yellow Jacket in double figures with 11 points.
After the teams went back and forth over the opening 3:08 of the contest, resulting in a 9-8 lead for American International, the Yellow Jackets scored 11 straight points. Ishanna Brown scored the first six points and the final two, while Wooten drilled a three-pointer.
Poitevien made a lay-up with 48 seconds left in the quarter to get the Dolphins within 20-10 after the first period.
American International scored nine of the first 11 points of the second quarter to take its largest lead of the game. Rashana Siders, Watts and Jayda Gilmore each buried three-pointers in the span.
The Dolphins answered with a 9-1 run to get within nine with 3:25 to go in the half. Four players scored in the streak, led by three points from senior guard
Tine Randrup-Thomsen (Aarhus, Denmark/Aabyhoej IF/Murray State College/Colorado Mesa).
Following four points from each team over the next two minutes, the Yellow Jackets closed out the half with an 8-2 run to take a 42-27 lead into halftime. Watts tallied four of the eight points to finish the half with 13 points.
After the teams traded points over the first five minutes of the third quarter, which resulted in a 48-32 AIC lead, the Dolphins scored eight straight points and 12 of the last 15 of the stanza to get within 51-44 after 30 minutes. Roberts bookended the run with a three-pointer and a jumper, while Randrup-Thomsen added another three-pointer.
The Yellow Jackets scored seven of the first nine points of the fourth quarter to push their lead back to 12 points. Watts tallied five of the seven points, while Brown and Wooten each made a foul shot.
Le Moyne responded with a 13-4 jaunt to get within a single possession, 62-59, with 4:13 to play. Randrup-Thomsen started the run with a three-pointer, senior forward
Nicole Riddick (Albany, N.Y./Colonie/UMass Lowell) followed with four points and then Roberts nailed a three-pointer and made three foul shots after being fouled on a three-point attempt.
American International tallied the next five points to take a 67-59 lead with 3:07 left, but the Yellow Jackets would not score again.
The Dolphins registered the final 11 points of the game over the last 2:44 to pull out the victory. Dobrovosky started the final comeback with three straight baskets to get the Dolphins within 67-65 with 1:32 to play.
After an AIC turnover, Roberts attempted to tie the score with 17 seconds left, but her try was off the mark. Dobrovosky kept the possession alive with an offensive rebound. The ball made its way to Roberts in the right corner, where she drained a three-pointer with 10.5 seconds left for a 68-67 lead. Following another AIC turnover, Dobrovosky made two foul shots with 2.8 seconds left to deliver the final score.
Roberts knocked the ensuing in-bounds pass into the air as time expired to seal the victory.
Le Moyne (2-1, 1-0 NE10), which has won back-to-back games against the Yellow Jackets for the first time since 2009, hosts Southern Connecticut State University on Saturday at 1:00 p.m.
