Long Island Halts Sacred Heart Winning Streak with 60-53 Overtime Win
3/1/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
March 1, 2003
BROOKLYN, NY (March 1, 2003) - Long Island University forward Tamika Dudley poured in a game-high 26 points to lead the Blackbirds to a 60-53 overtime win over Sacred Heart University Saturday afternoon. The lose snaps a seven-game winning streak and drops the Pioneers to 17-9 overall and 11-6 in the Northeast Conference. LIU, winners of five-straight, improve to 13-14 overall and 11-7 in conference play.
Dudley, who also grabbed 10 rebounds to complete the double double, finished 10-of-15 from the free throw line but struggled from the field, hitting just eight-of-31 from the floor. She added five assists, four steals and a block in the win. Freshman standout Amber Wirth scored all of her 15 points in the second half to help the Blackbirds erase a four-point halftime deficit to force the extra session.
With Pioneer starters, senior Brooke Rutnik (Albany, NY) and junior Kate Maher (Waterford, Ireland), fouled out of the game, LIU took command in overtime. Senior Brooke Kelly (Medford, NJ) picked up her fifth personal foul just 47 seconds into overtime and Long Island appeared to be in control building a four-point lead with just over two minutes to play. The Pioneers cut it to two, 55-53, and held the ball with 1:23 on the clock. After a traveling call on freshman Nicolle Rubino (Port Jefferson Station, NY) and a foul by junior Ashley Kohl (Palmyra, PA), head coach Ed Swanson was called for a technical foul, and LIU guard Erin Pinchbeck promptly hit three-of-four free throws to ice the game.
Rubino scored 20 points to tie her season-high for points and finish as the only Pioneer in double figures. Junior Shannon Quinlivan (Albany, NY) added a team-high seven rebounds. Sacred Heart struggled shooting just 34.0% (17-50) from the field and 23.8% (5-21) from three-point range. The Pioneers were out rebounded 44-36 in the loss, including 17-9 on the offensive glass. Long Island found its way to the free throw line 32 times on the afternoon, converting on 21. Sacred Heart's starting five combined for just 26 points while committing 19 of the teams 22 turnovers on the day.
The Pioneers will close out the regular season on Monday, March 3rd as they travel to St. Francis (NY) for a 7 pm start. Sacred Heart will host the Northeast Conference Tournament starting next weekend, March 8-9th.
