OLD WESTBURY, NY (www.OLDWESTBURYPANTHERS.com) - Antoinette Jolly's two defensive steals late in regulation sparked the SUNY College of Old Westbury women's basketball team to a 63-54 Skyline Conference victory over the Sage Gators from the Clark Athletic Center Tuesday evening.  The Panthers defense held the Gators to three points over the final 5:32 of regulation and held Sage to a 28.8 shooting night from the floor.   Old Westbury notched its sixth straight win and improves to 10-6 overall, 5-2 in league play.  Sage falls to 6-9 and 3-4 in conference action.

Old Westbury's Clarissa Gallagher led all scorers with a game-high 22 points.  Teammates DeAndra Scott and Jolly both racked up double-doubles as Scott finished with 13 points and 17 rebounds and Jolly chipped in with 12 points and had 14 boards to go along with her five steals.   Erica Houle paced Sage with a team-high 17 points as teammate Sara Tironi tallied 10 points.

In the first 17 minutes of the second half, neither team led more than five points as the game was tied on four different occasions.  Sage took its final lead of the night, 53-51, with 3:46 to play on a Tironi basket. The stage was set for Jolly's two defensive swipes as she first picked Sage's Laurel Jicha's pocket at the 3:18 mark.  Old Westbury's Raven Price buried a two-pointer 11 seconds later that tied the game at 53.   On the next Gators possession, Jolly stole the ball from Mallory Bowman, hustled up the court for a fast break layup giving the Panthers a 55-53 lead with 2:53 left to play.   Old Westbury never trailed again as their lead grew to five, 59-54, which was capped off by a Scott three-point play.

Both teams traded baskets over the first five minutes of play until Sage went on a 7-0 spurt to a take a 13-5 lead with 10:52 shown on the clock.  During that stretch, Carly Vallee scored five of her seven points as she began the run with a jumper and ended the Gators' spurt nailing a triple.   Gallagher's three-pointer at the 10:35 mark for the Panthers ended a four minute scoring drought as Old Westbury missed their previous six attempts from the floor. 

Gallagher converted on two free throws four minute later, which trimmed the Gators lead to one, 16-15.   A Houle jumper and four consecutive made free throws by Sage grew its lead back-up to seven, 22-15, with 3:28 left in the first.  Jolly's layup with 46 seconds left sliced the Sage lead to two, 23-21, however, Tironi's basked 19 seconds later gave the Gators a 25-21 edge heading into intermission.

FARMINGDALE STATE RAMS UP NEXT FOR THE PANTHERS: Old Westbury returns to the hardwood looking to win their seventh straight on Thursday (Jan. 24) evening, hosting the Farmingdale State Rams in a Skyline Conference battle from the Clark Athletic Center.  Tip-off is slated for 5 p.m. in Old Westbury, New York      

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