ROCHESTER, NY – The RIT (13-3) women's basketball team defeated No. 25 SUNY Geneseo (15-2) 79-76 in non-conference action from Clark Gymnasium Tuesday evening. It is the first win for RIT over Geneseo since the 2009-10 season and snapped a 14-game winning streak by the Knights.
RIT shot 48.4 percent from the floor on 30-of-62 shooting. The Tigers went 12-of-24 from beyond the arc, and made 7-of-10 free throws. Amanda Olsen (Glen Mills, PA/Archmere Academy) led four RIT players in double figures with a season-high 19 points. Jessica Glaz (Rockaway Beach, NY/Scholars Academy) tallied 16 points, while Sabrina Wolfe (Troy, NY/Troy) scored 15 points. Cori Okada (Fullerton, CA/Troy) tallied 14 points, three assists, three rebounds and two steals.
Natalie Alfieri and McKenna Brooks led Geneseo with 15 points apiece. Kelsey Poplawski chipped in 13 points, while Sara Ciotti chipped in 11 points. Brooks led the Knights with 12 rebounds.
RIT led 26-21 after the first quarter, and outscored the Knights 19-10 in the second quarter to build a 45-31 halftime lead. RIT shot 9-of-13 (69.2 percent) in the first quarter, including 6-of-8 from behind the arc. The Tigers used a 16-4 run to take command in the opening quarter. Olsen led the way with 13 first-half points. Wolfe chipped in 10 points off the bench.
Geneseo answered back in the third quarter, outscoring the Tigers 21-13. Poplawski's layup with 2:03 to play in the quarter cut the RIT lead to 56-52. Olsen extended the RIT lead to 58-52 with her bucket with seven seconds to play in the quarter.
RIT extended its lead to 66-56 on a 3-pointer from Okada early in the fourth quarter. Wolfe made it a 68-58 Tigers lead with her layup with 6:30 to play. Geneseo clawed back into the game, pulling to within one on a layup by Brooks with 3:53 to play. After an old-fashioned 3-point play by Glaz made it 71-67 RIT, Ciotti drained a 3-pointer with 3:18 to play to cut the RIT lead to 71-70.
The Tigers went on a 5-1 spurt, taking a 76-71 lead on a 3-pointer from Wolfe with 1:29 to play. Lindsey Halpin cut the RIT lead to 76-74 with her long range bucket with under 30 seconds to play in regulation.
Abby Judd (Pittsford, NY/Pittsford Sutherland) made two key free throws with seven seconds to play to make it 78-74 RIT with 10 seconds left. After a quick Geneseo bucket and a made free throw from Okada, Geneseo had a chance to tie with three seconds left. Ciotti launched a 30-footer that missed to give RIT the three-point win.
Geneseo held a 47-31 rebounding edge. The Tigers got 20 points from the bench.
It was RIT's second win over a nationally-ranked squad this season.
RIT returns to action Friday, Jan. 26 when the Tigers play at Liberty League foe Rensselaer,starting at 6 p.m. RIT enters the weekend with a one-game lead in the Liberty League standings.
| Sabrina Wolfe's scoring output matched her jersey number in the Tigers' home win over No. 25 SUNY Geneseo. Photo by Kelsie Redburn, Rochester Tech athletics |
