YORK, PA – York College junior forward Kristen Haley (Silver Spring, Md./Georgetown Visitation) poured in a career-high 27 points including her 1,000th career point as her Spartan squad rolled to a 77-54 win over St. Mary's in Capital Athletic Conference action on Saturday in York.
The Spartans, winners of three straight, improve to 16-4 overall and 5-2 in the CAC while the Seahawks fall to 8-9 overall and 2-5 in the league.
The Seahawks jumped on the Spartans early as they led until Brittany Hicks (Dover, Pa./York Catholic) hit a lay up to tie the game at nine at the 12:55 mark. Hicks' bucket started a 7-0 Spartan spurt as York took a five-point lead. The Seahawks hit lay ups on consecutive trips, trimming York's lead to one. Haley then converted a three-point play, followed by a Hicks lay up and a Kelsey Murphy (Olney, Md./Good Counsel) jumper as the Spartan lead grew to 21-14. Haley hit a pair of free throws to give York a nine-point lead and bring herself to within a point of the career milestone.
The Spartan junior became the 13th member of the club at the 5:53 mark when she took a Hicks pass and finished a bank shot on the right block. After another Haley lay up at the 4:36 mark, the Seahawks hit the Spartans with an 8-1 run, tying the game at 28 just before the break. Haley gave the Spartans a lead at the half when she hit another lay up with nine seconds left in the half, giving York a 30-28 lead heading to the intermission.
Haley finished the first half with 14 points.
Haley stayed hot in the early stages in the second half. She kick started a huge 16-3 run to start the stanza with two lay ups to open the half. That run gave York a 46-31 lead just 5:51 into the half.
York continued to build on the lead as the margin expanded to 22 on an Aja Wallpher (Ellicott City, Md./Seton Keough) lay up with 9:19 remaining in the game. The Spartan lead stayed between 17 and 23 points before York pushed it to a game-high 25 points on an Alia Smith (Brinklow, Md./Sherwood) bucket with 1:26 left in the game.
Haley finished the day with her seventh double-double of the year and third of this week as she notched the career-high 27 points to go along with 12 rebounds. Haley was an efficient 10-for-16 from the floor including 1-for-2 from three while she cashed in on all six of her free throw attempts in the win. Haley also had two assists, a blocked shot and a steal in her 32 minutes of play.
Hicks added 15 points, nine rebounds and a career-high tying six assists. Hicks also had a pair of steals in the win. Murphy and Wallpher each contributed 11 points to the Spartan offense. Wallpher handed out a game-high eight assists while she also had four steals, four rebounds, and a blocked shot. Murphy had another efficient shooting performance as she was 4-for-7 from the floor including 1-for-2 from three and 2-for-2 from the stripe.
Marche Pearson and Joanna Murray paced the Seahawks with 16 points each. Murray was 6-for-16 from the floor including 1-for-7 from three. Pearson was 6-for-21 from the floor while she pulled in seven rebounds for the Hawks. Sophie Pruden notched a double-double with 10 points and a game-high tying 12 rebounds.
The Spartans hounded the Seahawks into 27.8% shooting for the game including an ice cold 1-for-19 from three. The Seahawks converted 13-of-20 from the charity stripe.
While York was getting it done on the defensive end of the floor, the Spartan offense had its best performance of the year. The Green and White shot 50% (30-for-60) from the floor while they attempted a season-low eight three-point field goals. York was solid from the line as they converted 15-of-20 (75%) from the free throw line. '
York's 77 points was a season-high, besting their 74-point effort on November 27 at Goucher. It is York's highest scoring output since last year's 90-81 NCAA Tournament win at Juniata on March 3.
The Seahawks outrebounded the Spartans 47-43 while they also attempted 12 more shots than the Green and White. The Seahawks held a 19-11 edge in second chance points but the Spartans finished the game with a 52-34 advantage in paint points.
The Spartans did a fantastic job of sharing the ball in the win as they handed out a season-high 21 assists. That was especially true in the second half as 13 of York's 18 field goals were credited as assisted buckets.
The Green and White returns to action on Wednesday night when they travel to Marymount University to face the Saints in a key CAC contest. Marymount currently sits tied atop the CAC standing with Mary Washington, as both teams are 5-1. The Spartans are a game back at 5-2 in the league. Tip time in Arlington is set for 6:00 pm.