GENESEO, N.Y. - SUNY Geneseo senior guard Kara Houppert scored a career-high 23 points to lift the Knights to a victory over Rochester in the second round of the NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Tournament on Saturday night at Schrader Gymnasium.
Houppert added five rebounds and a team-high five assists while senior guards Katie Durandand Kayleigh Cavanaugh added 13 points and 11 points, respectively. Sophomore forwardMcKenna Brooks scored nine points and added a team-high three steals and two blocks.
Geneseo shot 27-for-56 (48.2%) from the floor, going 5-for-10 from behind the arc. The Knights pounded the ball into the lane, scoring 32 points in the paint and getting to the foul line for 26 attempts.
The Knights (28-1) move on to the NCAA Tournament Round of 16 for the second time in three years and the fourth time in program history. The team will take on Ohio Northern (29-0), who earned tournament victories over Lakeland, 68-36, and Trine, 55-48, to qualify for the third round, on Friday, March 10, with time and site to be determined later.
The hosts finished the first quarter on a 9-2 run to take a 21-11 lead after the initial frame. Brooks blocked consecutive layup attempts on Rochester's final offensive possession of the period to preserve Geneseo's double-digit advantage.
Rochester battled back in the second quarter, outscoring the hosts 9-2 over the final 4:11 to gain ground as the two teams entered halftime with Geneseo leading 37-34.
The YellowJackets tied the game, 37-37, 37 seconds into the third period with a three-pointer but Geneseo responded with a 10-0 run over the next 3:20 to regain a double-digit lead, 47-37. The Knights led by as many as 16 points, but the visitors finished the frame on a 7-0 spurt, cutting the deficit to 60-51.
Rochester hit back-to-back three-pointers to open the final frame, cutting the Geneseo lead to 60-57 with 7:44 to go, but that was as close as the visitors would draw. Senior forwardBridgit Ryan spurred a 12-4 run for the Knights over the next 3:39, extending the lead to 72-61 with 3:05 to go. The YellowJackets moved to within six points, 72-66, on a three-pointer with 1:13 left, but Geneseo sank six of their eight free throws in the final minute to seal the victory.
Houppert's 23-point effort matches the highest single-game scoring output by a Geneseo player this season set previously by Durand at Fredonia (Jan. 10). She shot 9-for-13 on the night, tying the most made field goals by a Geneseo player in a playoff game. The Knights set a program record for single-season wins, topping the 1992-93 team (27-1) that advanced to the NCAA Tournament Regional Finals.