Tate's Career-High 33 Points Leads UAlbany Women's Basketball to 63-55 Victory vs. Toledo
Box Score | Box Score (PDF)
URI Tip-Off Central
KINGSTON, R.I. – Led by a career-high 33 points from Imani Tate, the UAlbany women's basketball team took down 2015 Postseason WNIT member Toledo 63-55 on Saturday to advance to the URI Tip-Off championship game.
UAlbany (3-0), by defeating Toledo (0-3), will play tournament host Rhode Island, which defeated Harvard 56-52 today, on Sunday, November 22nd at noon at the Ryan Center in Kingston for the URI Tip-Off championship.
“It was a great team effort defensively, holding them to 55 points,” said UAlbany coach Katie Abrahamson-Henderson. “Imani Tate really stepped up offensively when Shereesha Richards was in foul trouble.”
UAlbany built a strong lead with a 20-0 run in the second quarter, having a 15-point advantage in the first half. The Great Danes held off a late Toledo comeback attempt to seal the win.
Tate scored 33 points off 11-16 shooting and 11-13 from the free throw line. Her previous career-high was 30 set last season on January 25th, 2015 vs. Hartford. She added six rebounds and two assists.
Tiana-Jo Carter earned a team-high eight rebounds and three blocks off the bench, adding eight points. Shereesha Richards finished with eight points, four boards and two steals, snapping her 35-game streak of double digit scoring. Zakiya Saunders concluded with eight points, five rebounds and three steals.
For Toledo, Janice Monakana had 12 points and three rebounds while Ana Capotosto scored 11 points.
After each side opened with a turnover, UAlbany scored on its next three possessions from three different players for a 6-3 advantage. Toledo tied the score, then UAlbany pushed ahead on a Richards layup and an Erin Coughlin three. UAlbany was held scoreless in the final 3:59 of the quarter but held a 13-12 lead.
Tate became the flagbearer for UAlbany in the second quarter as the Great Danes charged forward. UAlbany, dominating on rebounds and taking advantage of Toledo turnovers, started the quarter on a 20-0 run in a span of 7:09 to lead 33-12. Tate scored 17 of those points on jump shots and the free throw line, with Carter adding rebounds and the other three points. Tate added another basket towards the end of the quarter as UAlbany led 35-20 at the break.
Into the third quarter, the pace started back and forth as the two sides countered each other with shots. With Richards back in, she and Tate continued to earn points to put the lead back to 18. Toledo made late baskets from Janice Monakana and Brenae Harris as UAlbany led 47-31 after three quarters.
Carter and Tate hits baskets in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter as UAlbany led 51-33 with seven minutes to go. Monakana tried to lead the comeback attempt as Toledo scored six straight to pull within 12. UAlbany held off its opponent the next couple of minutes, adding three points for a 15-point lead, keeping that with 1:47 remaining. Toledo had one last push, hitting a couple of three-pointers late, but UAlbany held on to earn the 63-55 victory.
Toledo will play Harvard in the consolation game tomorrow at 3 p.m.
