Richards, Tate Combine for 69 Points as UAlbany WBB Powers by Hartford 82-58
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ALBANY, N.Y. – Finishing the game on a 29-5 surge, the UAlbany women's basketball team, led by 69 combined points from Shereesha Richards and Imani Tate, took down Hartford 82-58 to improve to 7-0 in America East play.
“In the second half, we adjusted to their three-point shots and pressured the high post,” said UAlbany coach Katie Abrahamson-Henderson. “It was our press that wore them out, and it was a team effort.”
UAlbany (14-6, 7-0 AE) and Hartford (10-11, 4-3 AE) were tied at 53-53 with 9:57 left. The Great Danes went on a 29-4 run in the following 9:30 to earn the win.
Richards tallied a season-high and SEFCU Arena record 39 points off 17-24 shooting for the second-highest single game scoring output in UAlbany women's basketball history, adding eight rebounds. Tate earned a career-high 30 points, the 17th-highest single game total in UAlbany women's basketball history, 15 rebounds and five steals for her first collegiate double-double. It is the first time that UAlbany has had two players score at least 30 points in a game.
“It is always a great feeling to have chemistry with my teammates,” said Richards, who earned her fourth 30+ point game at UAlbany, a new program record. “Everyone is feeding off each other's' energy.”
“I know I could get points and rebounds,” said Tate. “We did it in practice, and it transferred into the game.”
“I am proud of them,” added Abrahamson-Henderson. “We sometimes take [Shereesha] for granted. It was not just Imani's offense, it was her defense as well, I wish we could have that every game.”
With the win, UAlbany remains the lone undefeated team in the America East women's basketball. It is the third-consecutive year that UAlbany has started 7-0 in league play.
In the game, UAlbany shot 55.2% to Hartford's 42.6%, improving to 10-0 when shooting at least 50% from the field. The Great Danes outrebounded the Hawks 39-27.
Sarah Royals finished the game with seven points and nine assists. Margarita Rosario scored six points, while Zakiya Saunders got six assists.
For Hartford, Amber Bepko hit four three-point shots, finishing with 14 points and four boards. Alyssa Reeves got 12 points and five rebounds off the bench.
At the start, Bepko overshot a couple of threes from the corner while UAlbany committed a couple of turnovers. Richards broke the stalemate with a stutter step layup, with Royals adding a putback layup for the 4-0 UAlbany lead in the opening minutes.
Capped by an and one by Darby Lee, Hartford tied the game at 6-6 five minutes in. UAlbany attacked the paint with Richards leading the way, hitting three layups, as Tate added another, in a span of 62 seconds. As the UAlbany defense held Hartford with forced turnovers, the Great Danes added six more points, capped by two long Tate jumpers, to make it 20-6 with 11:24 in the 1st.
Hartford kept firing away from three, with Shanise Bultron hitting a couple from up top the arc. A Cassidy Bundy layup pulled the visitors within six. More points from Richards put UAlbany's lead back to 10 at 28-18 with 6:20 in the 1st.
Using a couple more made threes and layups, Hartford took the lead on a Bepko three at the top of the perimeter, adding a Bepko jumper to go up 31-28 with 2:49 left in the 1st.
UAlbany held Hartford without a field goal for the rest of the half as Tate took over, hitting a layup, a free throw and two jumpers in a row to push UAlbany back ahead. Hartford got a late free throw as UAlbany led at the break 35-32.
Into the second half, Hartford got the lead in the first two minutes with a couple of layups. UAlbany countered by going into the paint, with Richards hitting a layup then Tate adding a layup and a pair of free throws for a 6-0 run. After a Hartford layup, Rosario added a kickout three to send UAlbany to a 44-38 lead with 16:36 left in the 2nd.
The visitors went down low, with Lee hitting a couple of layups, then Reeves adding one. Bepko put a three in up top the arc to complete a 9-0 Hartford run and put the Hawks up 47-44 with 14:04 left.
Back and forth the teams went with baskets inside the arc, with UAlbany staying with a possession. Then at 51-50 Hartford, a UAlbany fast break saw Tate find Richards for the layup and one to make it 53-51 Great Danes. The other way, a Janelle Harrison layup tied the game at 53-53 with under 10 minutes left.
With the crowd of 2,185 cheering them on, the Great Danes started a major run by going to the basket. Richards earned a pair of steals and scores, followed by a Tate steal and putback layup. Saunders stole another Hartford ball finding Royals wide open for the layup for the 8-0 run, pushing UAlbany ahead 61-53 with under eight minutes left.
A Deanna Mayza jumper stopped the UAlbany run, followed by Royals starting another with a fast break jumper. As the Great Danes forced turnovers, Tate hit free throws, followed by Rosario hitting a wing three. With just over four minutes left, a Tiana-Jo Carter steal led to a Richards layup and one. Richards added another layup, followed by a Tate free throw, a Royals free throw and another Tate jumper to complete the run at 14-0, making the score 77-55 UAlbany with 2:23 left as the Great Danes held the Hawks without points for almost six minutes.
Richards added five points in the final minutes as UAlbany took the victory 82-58.
UAlbany goes back on the road on Thursday, January 29th, taking on Vermont in Burlington at 7 p.m.
