CORTLAND, N.Y. - Senior
Jessica Laing (Bloomville/South Kortright) scored a season-high 30 points while grabbing 12 rebounds as top-seeded Cortland squeezed out a 69-63 victory over #8 seed Fredonia in the SUNYAC women's basketball tournament quarterfinals.
With the win, Cortland will be the site of both the SUNYAC semifinals and championship game on Friday and Saturday, Feb. 26-27. The Red Dragons (23-3) will play fourth-seeded Geneseo Friday night at 8 p.m., with second-seeded Oneonta and third-seeded New Paltz opening play at 6 p.m.
Laing made 11-of-19 field goals and also recorded four steals and two blocked shots. She registered her 21st double-double of the season. Sophomore
Micki Volpini (Newfield) added 15 points and sophomore Allyson Biordi (Beacon) scored nine points and dished out three assists.
Grace Moore (Fredonia) led the Blue Devils (10-15) with 13 points. Nicole Calbi (Olean) scored 12 points and handed out four assists and Liz Wierbinski (Camillus/West Genesee) finished with 11 points, all in the second half, and team bests of seven rebounds and three steals.
Laing's 18-point second half and timely steal with 54 seconds left thwarted Fredonia's second-half comeback. The Red Dragons extended their eight-point halftime lead to 57-42 on a
Mary Bruns (Brooklyn/Bishop Ford) jumper with 7:25 left. Fredonia, however, went on a 19-9 run – including a combined 13 points by Wierbinski and Calbi – and was within 66-61 with 1:42 left.
Cortland turned the ball over with 1:39 left, but the Blue Devils missed a shot a few seconds later. After another Red Dragon turnover, Fredonia lost the ball on Laing's steal and had to foul with 50 seconds left. Laing made the second of two free throws to put Cortland up by six. Biordi added a free throw with 38 seconds remaining and, following a Calbi basket,
Miranda Lustig (Medford/Patchogue-Medford) finished the scoring with a foul shot at the 19-second mark. Bruns finished with eight rebounds and Lustig had seven rebounds for the Red Dragons.
Box Score/Play-by-Play
