YORK, PA – The York College women's basketball team proved one thing in their 55-44 win over Ursinus in the championship game of the 8th Annual Coaches vs. Cancer Classic in York on Sunday. The Green and White showed they can win a slowdown, defensive battle just over 24 hours after they puth 102-points on the board against Cazenovia.
The Spartans scored 61 points in Saturday's first half but needed 40 minutes to get 55 in Sunday's championship game.
The Spartans earned their fifth CVC Classic championship as they made plays when they needed to and got downright defensive in the win.
The Bears got off to a great start as they led 6-0 just under three and a half minutes into the game. Senior Shea Wassel (North Wales, Pa./Lansdale Catholic) finally got the Spartans on the board with lay up 3:51 into the game. That loosed the Spartans up as the offense started to click a little bit better. The Spartans took their first lead of the game nine minutes later when Wassel hit another bucket to put York up 15-14 with 7:13 left in the half.
The Bears responded with a four-point spurt that gave them a three-point margin. The Green and White put together a 12-2 run over the final 5:26 of the first half to take a seven-point lead to the break. Wassel and Katie Wagner (Glen Rock, Pa./Susquehannock) powered the run as Wassel had six points and Wagner had four during the strong finish to the half.
Sophomore Sam Hruz (White Marsh, Md./Mercy) opened the second half with a bucket as the York lead grew to nine. Ursinus trimmed the York lead to six at 33-27 but the Spartans responded with an 15-5 run to push the lead to 16 (48-32).
The York lead would grow to a game-high 17 at 50-33 with 5:11 left in the game. The Bears would trim their final deficit to 11 as they outscored York 11-5 over the final 4:26 of the game.
Wassel was outstanding for York as she was named the tournament MVP. The senior notched her second double-double of the tournament as she poured in a game-high 16 points while also grabbed a career-high 21 rebounds. Her 21 rebounds were one short of tying the Spartan school record of 22 caroms held by former Spartan great Mandy Crabbs. Wassel was 6-of-10 from the floor and 4-for-6 from the free throw line.
Hruz added nine points, four rebounds, four blocked shots and a pair of steals for York. Junior Julianne Lambert (Hockessin, Del./Padua Academy) played well for York as she came off the bench to record eight points, dish out a game-high three assists and pull in two rebounds. Wagner earned All-Tournament team honors as she had six points, seven rebounds, two assists, and two steals in her 32 minutes of action.
Ursinus was led by Elana Roadcloud as she notched a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Roadcloud earned All-Tournament team honors for her efforts. Roadcloud was 3-for-14 from the floor and 4-for-6 from the stripe. Alyssa Polimeni added eight points and eight rebounds for the Bears while Jessica Porada contributed eight points and seven rebounds.
The Spartan defense held the Bears to 20.9% (14-for-67) shooting from the floor while Ursinus was also 3-for-18 (16.7%) from three. The Bears converted 13-of-19 (68.4%) from the free throw line.
York finished the game shooting 32.3% (20-for-62) from the floor while they went 0-for-15 from distance in the win. The Spartans were solid from the line as they went 15-for-21 (71.4%) for the game.
The Spartans dominated the glass as they outrebounded the Bears 55-44. York also held a 38-18 margin in points in the paint while Ursinus outscored York 15-14 in second chance points.
The Spartans return to action on Wednesday night when they travel to Harrisonburg, Virginia to face Eastern Mennonite in a non-conference contest. Tip time at EMU is set for 6:00 pm.