Keuka Women's Hoops Wins Thriller over SUNYIT

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SUNYIT and Keuka College have plenty of history in women's basketball, and Saturday afternoon inside the Weed Physical Arts Center, the two squads added another chapter to a storied rivalry.

A year after sweeping all three matchups with their rivals from SUNYIT, including a double-digit rally to claim the North Eastern Athletic Conference's (NEAC) postseason championship, Keuka needed overtime, but a career game from junior Jessica Bandrowski (Center Moriches, NY/Center Moriches) along with placing six student-athletes in double-figures led the Storm to a 102-98 win over SUNYIT.

Bandrowski scored a career-high 34 points and added 8 rebounds, 6 steals and 4 assists, while sophomore Erica Pendrak (Utica, NY/New York Mills) had 18 points, 7 assists and 4 rebounds as Keuka (12-2, 9-1 NEAC) won its sixth straight NEAC contest while snapping SUNYIT's (8-6, 6-2 NEAC) six-game conference winning streak.

Senior Mariah Mouzon (Elmira, NY/Elmira Free Academy) recorded her third straight double-double, and sixth of the season, with 12 rebounds and 10 points, while junior Casey Chamberlain (Perry, NY/Perry) added 12 points and eight rebounds for Keuka, which out-rebounded SUNYIT 54-47 inside the Weed Physical Arts Center.

Junior Danielle Gravel (Sidney, NY/Sidney) scored all 12 of her points in the second half and overtime and added four steals, while sophomore Brittany Hadley (Jasper, NY/Jasper-Troupsburg) had 13 points and four rebounds for the Green and Gold.

All square at 90 heading into OT, Bandrowski hit a layup and Chamberlain went 1-for-2 on free throws as the Storm led 93-91 35 seconds into OT. Gravel made a layup for a four-point lead, but Lyndsey Brognano (26 points) made a pair of free throws to slice the lead to 95-93.

The schools traded buckets before Bandrowski hit a pair of free throws and added a steal and a fast-break layup for a 101-95 lead with 22 seconds remaining.

Following a '3' from Brognano, Bandrowski went 1-for-2 at the free-throw line for a four-point lead, and SUNYIT missed a three-pointer as Keuka remained in first place in the North Division.

The Storm trailed 4-0 early on, but Chamberlain sunk a '3' to tie the game at 5. Trailing 10-7, Bandrowski buried a '3' to even the score at 10, and then she converted a three-point play for a 13-12 lead.

Hadley knocked down a triple to tie the score at 18, and Bandrowski had two baskets as Keuka took a 26-22 lead.

The lead grew to seven, 29-22, after sophomore Amanda Kubitz (Spencerport, NY/E.J. Wilson) made a '3', but SUNYIT hung around and only trailed 31-30 until Mouzon made a pair of free throws, Bandrowski made a basket and Pendrak made a '3' for a 38-32 lead with 4:53 remaining.

Bandrowski pushed the lead to six, 40-34 on a fast-break basket, but IT closed out the half on a 12-0 run and took a 46-40 lead into halftime.

IT's lead grew to 49-40 before Mouzon and Bandrowski made layups and Chamberlain converted a three-point play to cap a 7-0 run.

The Storm trailed by as many as nine points in the second half, including 72-63 on a Brognano '3', but Hadley made a layup and Pendrak knocked down a '3' and a fastbreak layup as Keuka pulled within 73-70 with 8:20 remaining in regulation.

IT capped an 11-6 spurt with a Kayla McNeil lay-in for an 84-76 edge with 5:52 remaining, but Bandrowski scored six points, Pendrak swished a pair of free throws and Chamberlain buried a '3' to pull Keuka within 88-87 with 3:02 remaining.

Mouzon went 2-for-2 on free throws for an 89-88 lead, but IT reclaimed the lead when Abbey Hanahan made a pair of free throws with 37 seconds remaining. Bandrowski knotted the score on a free throw with 29 seconds left, but neither team could clinch the win in regulation.

The Storm hosts SUNY Cobleskill at 1 p.m. Sunday afternoon inside the Weed. Live stats are available at www.KeukaStorm.com/live-stats.