Sacred Heart Falls, 51-48, to Long Island in NEC Quarterfinals
3/8/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
March 8, 2003
FAIRFIELD, CT - Senior Tamika Dudley (Woodbridge, VA) scored a game-high 23 points and dished out five assists to to help #4 seed Long Island University erase a nine-point deficit in the second half and escape with a 51-48 win over #5 seed Sacred Heart University in an NEC Tournament quarterfinal Saturday afternoon.
The Pioneers had no answer for the punishing inside play of Dudley during the game. The Blackbirds constantly worked the ball down low to isolate her against the Sacred Heart post defense.
"The one-on-one inside play benefits us because Tamika is an excellent passer," said LIU coach Stephanie Gaitley. "If they double team us she can find the open man."
Senior forward Brooke Kelly (Medford, NJ) scored the first five points of the game for Sacred Heart (18-10). LIU then went on a 16-4 run over the next eight minutes to take a 16-9 lead with 9:49 left in the half. The Pioneers used a 12-2 spurt of their own to lead 21-18 with 3:56 left and they rode a 25-22 edge at the intermission.
The Pioneers came out firing on all cylinders in at the start of the second half and a layup by senior Brooke Rutnik (Albany, NY) with 11:27 left gave SHU a 37-28 lead. A Kate Maher layup (Waterford, Ireland) with 8:34 left made it 41-32 for the Pioneers.
The Blackbirds took control after the Maher basket and a 10-0 run, capped by a three-pointer by senior guard Kecia Rosado (Mount Holly, NJ) gave the Blackbirds a 42-41 lead with 4:54 to play. Rutnik answered for Sacred Heart with a layup that gave the Pioneers their final lead of the game.
Rosado drained another three with 4:11 left to give LIU a 45-43 lead then a Dudley jumper gave the Blackbirds a four-point bulge. A three-point play by NEC Rookie of the Year Nicolle Rubino (Port Jefferson Station, NY) got the Pioneers back with one at 47-46, but Dudley hit again inside for LIU to get it back to three.
Rutnik made another layup for SHU with 1:11 left to make it 49-48 and Dudley missed at the other end for the Blackbirds. Kelly had a chance to give the Pioneers the lead back but missed a layup with :25 to play. The Pioneers fouled LIU freshman Erin Pinchbeck (Albany, NY) after the rebound, and she calmly sank both free throws to put the Blackbirds back up by three. Kelly forced up a three with :02 left on the clock, but it bounded off the rim sending the Blackbirds to the next round.
"We turned the ball over too many times down the stretch," said Pioneer coach Ed Swanson. "We couldn't seem to get in a flow offensively and the big shot from the perimeter never came. Give LIU all the credit. We didn't make the plays and they made their shots when they had to."
LIU advances to the semifinals on Sunday where it will play top-seeded St. Francis (PA). Tip-off for that game at the William H. Pitt Center on the campus of Sacred Heart is scheduled for 2:00 p.m.
