YORK, PA – The 13th ranked York College women's basketball team remained perfect on the year with a 69-41 win over St. Mary's College in Capital Athletic Conference action on Wednesday night in York.
The Spartans improve to 14-0 overall and 7-0 in the league while the Seahawks fall to 5-8 overall and 2-4 in conference play. York is ranked 13th in both of the most recent national polls.
The Spartans got on top early as they led the Seahawks 12-0 before St. Mary's got on the board at the 13:49 mark of the first half. St. Mary's cut their deficit to nine on a Shanna Lewis free throw but York responded with a 13-3 run to push the lead to 27-8 with 5:14 left in the half. St. Mary's scored four straight points but the Green and White ended the half with a six straight points to take a 33-12 lead to the break.
York's first half defensive effort was fantastic as their zone forced the Seahawks into 3-for-29 (10.3%) shooting from the floor. The Spartans also forced six turnovers in the half.
The second half saw the Spartans maintain their lead in the 20's for a majority of the stanza. York had all 16 players see at least three minutes of action in the second half while 11 players reached the scoring column in the victory.
Senior All-American Brittany Hicks (Dover, Pa./York Catholic) had another big night as the forward recorded her seventh double-double of the year with 16 points and 17 rebounds. The 17 rebounds were one short of tying her career high. She also had two assists and two steals in her 24 minutes of work. Fellow senior forward Kristen Haley (Silver Spring, Md./Georgetown Visitation) added 14 points and six rebounds for the Green and White. Sophomore Karli McFatridge (York, Pa./York Catholic) was the third Spartan in double figures with 10 points in her 13 minutes of work.
Haley and fellow senior Kelsey Murphy (Olney, Md./Good Counsel) both reached a milestone in the game as the duo played in and started their 100th career games as Spartans. Haley and Murphy are 11 games away from breaking former Spartan All-American April Sparkman's school record of 110 games played in the Green and White.
Lewis led St. Mary's with 15 points as she was 3-for-12 from the floor and 9-for-12 from the free throw line. Sophie Pruden, the reigning CAC Women's Basketball Player of the Week, notched 12 points and nine rebounds as York harassed her into 3-for-13 shooting from the floor.
The Spartans finished the game shooting 40% from the floor and 2-for-11 (18.2%) from three. The Green and White had been outstanding from distance in recent games, as York had not hit less than five threes in their previous four games. York was an efficient 11-for-14 (78.6%) from the stripe.
The Seahawks finished the game shooting 10-for-55 (18.2%) from the floor. It was York's best defensive field goal percentage effort of the year, bettering the 20.8% that Penn State Harrisburg shot against York on December 4. St. Mary's went 0-for-10 from three as they are the second team York has held without a three this season.
The Seahawks did make hay from the free throw line as they went to the stripe an astounding 31 times, making 21 for a 67.7% success rate. St. Mary's went to the line 31 times despite York playing zone defense the entire game. York finished the game with 21 fouls compared to just 15 for the man-to-man playing Seahawks.
For the first time in four games, York held a rebounding advantage as they out-boarded their guests 53-44 and the Spartans also forced 17 turnovers, which they turned into 12 points.
York dominated play in the paint with a 40-12 margin in points in the key.
The Spartans step out of conference play on Saturday when they travel to Southern Virginia to face the Knights. Tip time in Buena Vista, Virginia is set for 1:00 pm.