Feb 19, 2019
CORTLAND, N.Y. – Emily Nestler banked in a short jumper to break a tie with 32 seconds left and Cortland's attempt at a game-winning 3-pointer just missed the mark in the closing seconds as Brockport defeated the host Red Dragons, 55-53, in the SUNYAC women's basketball tournament quarterfinals.
Brockport (11-15), the fifth seed, advances to play at top-seeded New Paltz in the semifinals Friday at 7:30 p.m. while fourth-seeded Cortland closes its 2018-19 campaign with a 12-14 record.
Julianna Taylor led Brockport with 13 points and Nestler finished with 11 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and three blocks. Chelsea Henry pitched in with seven points and seven rebounds for the Golden Eagles.
Shannon McGuire (West Babylon) scored 16 points on 7-of-13 shooting from the field and added four rebounds, two assists and two steals for Cortland. Tanna Mohammed (Huntington/Elwood-John H. Glenn) added 11 points and Justine Crespo (Monroe/Monroe-Woodbury) had 10 points and five rebounds. Kristy Vitucci (Deer Park) matched her career high with nine rebounds and also led the team with three assists.
Cortland trailed by six – the largest deficit for either team - with 8:17 remaining but eventually tied the game at 47 on a Mohammed 3-pointer with 5:50 left. The Red Dragons took their only lead of the fourth quarter at 52-51 on Crespo's layup with 3:33 left.
Taylor put Brockport up with a layup at the 3:20 mark, and Crespo tied the game after hitting the first of two free throws with 3:05 remaining. Neither team was able to score again until Nestler hit her go-ahead shot. After a timeout by each team, Cortland inbounded in the front court ran most of the clock down before McGuire's contested 3-pointer from the right wing grazed off the rim. The buzzer sounded as Brockport controlled the rebound and was fouled. A half second was added back to the clock and the Golden Eagles, still not in the bonus, called timeout and then inbounded the ball from near their bench to run out the clock.
Brockport led 12-10 after one quarter and by five early in the second, but Cortland came back and took a 25-24 halftime lead on a McGuire jumper just before the buzzer. Brockport's largest lead in the third was five points on two occasions, and the Golden Eagles led by four entering the fourth. The game finished with 11 ties and 10 lead changes. The guests shot 41 percent from the field but just 2-for-11 (18 percent) from 3-point range. Cortland was held to 30 percent shooting overall and 3-of-17 accuracy (18 percent) from the arc.