February 23, 2008

Malone’s Season Comes To An End After Hard-Fought 62-60 Overtime Loss To Houghton

 
The Malone College women’s basketball team came up just short in its regular season finale at Osborne Hall on Saturday night, falling 62-60 in overtime to Houghton (NY) College.  The Pioneers entered Saturday tied with Ursuline College for the final American Mideast Conference North Division playoff spot (with identical 5-8 records in AMC North play) but because of the Arrows’ 90-77 home victory over Carlow (PA) University and Malone’s narrow defeat to Houghton, Urusline finished one game ahead of the Pioneers in the division standings and therefore advances to the eight-team AMC Tournament as the North’s fourth and final seed.
 
A Houghton jumper put the visitors in front 53-49 with 1:44 remaining in Saturday’s contest, but Malone junior forward Tara Miller (Miami East H.S.) answered back with offensive rebounds and put-backs on the Pioneers’ next two possessions to knot the score at 53-53.  With 15 ticks remaining in regulation, the Malone defense then clamped down, forcing the Highlanders into a tough shot at the buzzer.  The visitors’ game-winning attempt was off the mark, sending the important conference game into overtime.  The hosts jumped out to a quick 57-54 lead in the opening minutes of the extra frame before Houghton fought back to tie the score at 57-57 with 3:12 to play.  The Highlanders then outscored Malone 5-1 over the next two and a half minutes, giving Houghton a 62-58 advantage with 40 seconds remaining.  Pioneer junior forward Nicole Feher (Lutheran West H.S.) cut the deficit to 62-60 with a basket on Malone’s next possession.  The hosts then immediately fouled on the ensuing inbounds play and, after a pair of Highlander misses from the charity stripe with 15 ticks showing on the game clock, the Pioneers snagged the rebound and rushed down the court.  Unfortunately, though, the Houghton defense held strong on the game’s final possession, preventing Malone from getting a shot attempt off before the final horn sounded.
 
The Pioneers led 25-18 at halftime, but the Highlanders opened the second stanza on an 11-4 run to tie the score at 29-29.  The contest then remained close throughout the second half leading up to the dramatic finish.
 
With the hard-fought 62-60 overtime defeat, Malone concluded its season with a 7-20 overall record and a 5-9 mark in the AMC North.  Houghton, which had already locked up the North Division’s #3 seed prior to Saturday’s game, ends the regular season with a record of 15-11 overall and 8-6 in the division.
 
Both teams played tough defense throughout the contest as neither squad was able to get into much of an offensive rhythm.  Houghton knocked down 24 of its 70 (34.3%) overall shot attempts, five of 21 (23.8%) three-pointers, and nine of 17 (52.9%) free throws.  Malone, meanwhile, connected on 22 of 70 (31.4%) field goals, one of seven (14.3%) three-pointers, and 15 of 26 (57.7%) free throws.  The Pioneers posted a season-high 63 rebounds compared to just 39 boards for the Highlanders, but the hosts also committed 25 turnovers.  Houghton turned the ball over 20 times while grabbing 18 steals and blocking six shots.
 
Senior guard Nicki Sisson (Wayne Trace H.S.) turned in a strong performance in her final game as a Pioneer as she scored a team-high 16 points to go with four rebounds and two steals.  Senior guard Kellyn Murphy (St. Vincent-St. Mary H.S.) also played well in her last contest for Malone, tallying 14 points, 11 rebounds, four assists and four steals.  Miller added 12 points and 11 boards for her fourth double-double of the year and Feher finished with nine points and 11 rebounds.
 
Ashley Dupler led the way for Houghton with 20 points, six rebounds and four blocked shots.  Lisa Skrypnik followed with 10 pointes and nine boards.
 
Pioneer Notes: Kellyn Murphy led the team in scoring this season at 15.4 points per game followed by Tara Miller at 9.3 and Allyson Wilson at 7.3…Miller paced the squad in rebounding with 8.5 boards per outing followed by Nicole Feher with 6.9 and Murphy with 5.9…Murphy also averaged a team-high 2.3 assists per contest.
 
Senior Stats: Guard Heather Fenner finished her four-year Malone playing career with 399 points and 140 rebounds…Guard Kellyn Murphy scored 1064 points in her four years in a Pioneer uniform which ranks as the 17th highest career point total in Malone women’s basketball history…Murphy also ranks 17th on the career rebounding list with 465 boards…Guard Nicki Sisson’s 459 career points rank 46th on the Pioneers’ all-time scoring list…Sisson also pulled down 127 rebounds during her four-year Malone playing career…Student assistant coach Becky Preusser started Saturday’s game against Houghton and registered two assists…Preusser played for the Pioneers during the 2005-2006 season and has served as an assistant coach for each of the last two years.
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