WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Gallaudet University women's basketball team downed York (N.Y.) College, 57-33, in the first round of the GU Holiday Tournament at the Field House on Friday afternoon.
Unlike their first victory of the season over Christendom College which remained close throughout the first half, the Bison were able to pull away from York early on. The Bison used a 17-4 run in the first half to turn a 4-2 lead over the Cardinals into a 21-6 margin that would never get closer than 11 points the rest of the way. The Bison (2-0) have not trailed yet this season.
Senior transfer Lindsay Stergio (Montville, Conn.) led the Bison in scoring for the second straight game as she followed up her 16-point effort against Christendom with 10 points against the Cardinals on 4-of-10 shooting from the field. The forward also added five rebounds, two assists, and two steals in a highly effective 21 minutes on the floor.
Sophomore forward Elena Ciccarelli (Whitesboro, N.Y.) just missed her first double-double of the season as she contributed nine points and nine rebounds in a dominant effort on both ends of the floor. Senior forward Amy Bachtel (Columbus, Ohio) added nine points while junior guard Joanna Rocha (Garden Grove, Calif.) scored eight while leading the team with five steals. Freshman forward Augusta Schriver (Middletown, Md.) had another big day for the Bison on the boards as she collected nine rebounds and now leads the team with 17 on the season.
The Cardinals (0-3) got big performances from freshman forward Nia Rene and and sophomore center Stayce Kay Muirhead who scored 13 and 10 points, respectively. Poor shooting and turnovers ultimately did the Cardinals in as they shot just 24.5 percent from the field (12-for-49) and turned the ball over 30 times.
The Bison advanced to the four-team tournament's championship game for the first time since the 2010-11 season and will face the winner Valley Forge Christian College, who defeated Wesley College 60-55 in the other women's game. The consolation game between York and Wesley will tip at noon and the women's championship will take place at 4 p.m.