USciences Win First DII NCAA Tourney Game

By Bob Heller

Garden City, N.Y. - Alex Thomas and Sarah Abbonizio combined for 42 points as the University of the Sciences women’s basketball team continued their post-season run and earned their first ever NCAA tournament win with a 73-66 victory over Bentley University in Friday’s first round of the

NCAA Division II East Regional at Adelphi University.

USciences, the #6 seed, never trailed in the contest as they handed Bentley, the #3 seed and a national semi-finalist last season, their earliest exit in the NCAA Regional Tournament since the 2009-10 season when they lost to Stonehill College, 74-56

The two teams entered the game with identical 26-5 records.  The Devils improved on their school-record for wins, upping their record to 27-5 while the Falcons finish the season at 26-6.

The Devils will face #2 seed Queens College at 5:00 p.m. on Saturday at Adelphi’s Center for Recreation and Sports in Garden City, N.Y. in the first regional semi-final game.  Queens defeated #7 Assumption 69-48 in today second game of the tournament.

Thomas recorded a game-high 23 points, connecting on 5-6 from three point range along with 4-5 from the free throw line, leading four USciences players in double figures. Abbonizio scored 11 of her 19 points in the fourth quarter and finished the game shooting 10-13 from the free throw line and 4-7 from the field. 

Jordan vitelli and Colleen Walsh each scored 11 points with Walsh knocking down three three-point field goals and Vitelli two.  Laura Trisch had ten rebounds to lead all players.  

The Devils shot a blistering 54.4% from beyond the arc, making 12 of their 22 three point attempts.  The team also shot 79.2% from the free throw line, just slightly above their league leading average.  USciences finished the game shooting 41.2% overall (21-51)

Macchi Smith led Bentley with 21 points while Jen Gemma added 15.  Lauren Green and Amy McConnell scored 13 and 11 points respectively.

Three three-point field goals by the Devil in the opening five minutes of play staked USciences to an 11-2 lead.  The Falcons scored the next seven points to close within two at 11-9 before the Devils closed out the quarter on a 6-1 run to take a 17-10 lead.

Bentley scored the first seven points of the second quarter to tie the game at 17-17, one of two ties between the two teams in the quarter.  Knotted at 21-21, Walsh sank two three point buckets to give the Devils a 27-23 lead late in the period.  The two teams exchanged points in the final minute as the Devils held a 30-26 lead at the break.

The Devils used an 11-0 flourish midway through the third quarter to turn a two point advantage into a double digit lead at 46-33 with 3:34 left in the period and led by 12 50-38 as they limited the Falcons to just  four field goals in the quarter and outscoring Bentley 20-12 in the period.

Thomas’ traditional three-point play at the 5:31 mark of the fourth quarter gave the Devils their largest lead of the game at 58-43.  Bentley began to put full court pressure on the Devils and starting chipping away at the lead, closing within seven 63-56 with 2:27 left and then five at 65-60 with 1:08 left.

  After forcing a quick turnover, Smith connected on two free throws to make it a one possession game at 65-62. This would be as close as the Falcons would come as USciences went 8-10 (Abbonizio (5-6) and Vitelli (3-4)) from the free throw line in the final minute to seal the seven point win.