New Haven, Conn. – Kiana Steinauer recorded a double-double to lead Southern Connecticut State University to a 65-63 win over the Le Moyne College women's basketball team in Northeast-10 Conference action on Saturday afternoon at Moore Field House.
Freshman forward
Jenna Zimmerman (Adams, N.Y./South Jefferson) led four Dolphins in double figures with 15 points, including 10 in the second half. Redshirt sophomore guard
Liz Millea (Cooperstown, N.Y./Cooperstown) came off the bench to score 13 points in 11 minutes, including eight points in four first-quarter minutes. Junior guard
McKayla Roberts (North Syracuse, N.Y./Cicero-North Syracuse) tallied eight of her 12 points in the second half, while grabbing a team-best five rebounds. Freshman guard
Cameron Tooley (Clifton Park, N.Y./Shenendehowa) turned in nine of her 11 points after halftime and finished the contest with four assists.
Steinauer recorded 21 points, including eight in the fourth quarter, and 14 rebounds, including six in the fourth quarter. Jessica Fressle turned in seven of her 18 points in the fourth, while posting six rebounds and four steals. Amanda Pfohl registered 11 of her 17 points in the final quarter.
The first quarter was back and forth as the score was tied four times, the third time of which came at 10 apiece with 2:32 left. Millea then made a three-pointer and a lay-up to give the Dolphins a 15-10 lead.
The Owls answered with the final five points of the quarter to even the score at 15. Fressle made lay-up and following a free throw by Imani Wheeler, Steinauer picked off a pass and flicked in a lay-up before the buzzer to tie the score.
Southern Connecticut State extended its run to 12 with the first seven points of the second quarter. Wheeler made lay-up, Pfohl drained a three-pointer and Steinauer capped the streak with a lay-up.
The Dolphins scored five of the next seven points to get within four, but Aaliyah Walker made a jumper and Pfohl hit a three-pointer for a 29-20 lead with 4:21 left in the half.
Le Moyne cut its deficit to five with 1:13 left in the half, but Steinauer completed the half's scoring with a jumper for a 33-26 lead at halftime.
The Dolphins tallied the first 10 points of the third quarter to take a three-point lead. Zimmerman buried a three-pointer, Tooley made a jumper and then Zimmerman drained another three-pointer for the lead. Senior guard
Madison Purcell (Clifton Park, N.Y./Catholic Central) capped the jaunt with a fast-break lay-up for a three-point edge.
The Owls responded with five points to regain the lead, but Le Moyne countered with six straight points for a 42-38 lead after three quarters. Zimmerman made a lay-up, Millea hit a jumper and then Roberts converted two foul shots with two seconds left.
Southern Connecticut State scored eight of the first 10 points in the fourth quarter to take the lead back. Fressle made a three-pointer, Steinauer made two foul shots and then Pfohl knocked down a three-pointer.
Following ties at 46, 48 and 49, the Owls scored 11 straight points to take the lead for good. Fressle made a three-pointer, Pfohl hit one of her own and then drained another for a nine-point lead. Steinauer capped the stretch with a lay-up with 4:01 left for a 60-49 lead.
Le Moyne answered with eight consecutive points to get within one possession. Purcell started the run with a three-pointer, Roberts made a jumper and then Tooley buried a three-pointer with 1:58 to play.
Following a jumper by Pfohl with 32 seconds left, Millea drained a three-pointer with 16 seconds to go to make it 62-60. Steinauer countered with two free throws with 12 seconds left to push her team's lead back to four.
Roberts was then fouled on a three-point attempt with eight seconds left and converted all three attempts to get the Dolphins within 64-63.
After Fressle made one of two free throws with five seconds left to make it a two-point game, the Dolphins got the ball up court, but their lay-up at the buzzer rolled off the rim.
Le Moyne (1-1, 1-1 NE10) opens its home schedule on Tuesday against Adelphi University at 5:00 p.m.
