UAlbany Women's Basketball Takes Sixth Straight Albany Cup on Dominating Defense in 61-42 Win at Siena
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ALBANY, N.Y. – The UAlbany women's basketball team played stellar defense to keep the Albany Cup with the Great Danes for the sixth year in a row, taking down Siena 61-42 at the Times Union Center on Saturday night.
UAlbany (7-2) held Siena (4-6) to just 12 points on four field goals in the first half. Imani Tate and Zakiya Saunders combined to shoot 64% and took command in the second half as UAlbany led wire-to-wire the whole game.
“We did a good job of playing team defense with our presses and at the halfcourt,” said UAlbany head coach Katie Abrahamson-Henderson, whose UAlbany teams have never lost to Siena. “[Shereesha Richards] did not have a big scoring night, but everyone stepped up and got her points.”
With the victory, UAlbany improves to 7-6 against in Division I play against its crosstown rival, taking the last six contests. The Great Danes had 11 steals on 27 Siena turnovers, outrebounded the Saints 33-26 and held their opponent to 32.6% shooting.
Tate had a huge night for UAlbany with 27 points off 11-16 shooting, adding nine rebounds, five steals and three assists.
“We are a defensive team, we go based on our defense,” said Tate. “When that works, it makes our offense go.”
Saunders added 12 points off 5-9 from the field, four assists and two steals. Tiana-Jo Carter finished with nine points and nine rebounds while Shereesha Richards tallied a career-high five assists with six points and four rebounds.
For Siena, Kollyns Scarbrough concluded with a team-high 13 points and three steals. Margot Hetzke, the 2014-15 MAAC Rookie of the Year, was held to two points with 10 rebounds.
UAlbany scored on its first three possessions off quick strike baskets by Richards and Tate. Saunders added a kick-out jumper as UAlbany took an 8-0 lead to start the first. Siena kept throwing up shots from behind the arc, hitting a couple to pull within two.
The Great Danes zone defense kept Siena out of the paint, forcing the home team to shoot long range jumpers. UAlbany attacked the paint, building the lead up with a Heather Forster layup and a Saunders fast break layup off a Richards steal. UAlbany led 12-8 after the first quarter.
UAlbany's defense kept going with the zone and the halfcourt traps, keeping Siena without a field goal for almost the entire second quarter. The Great Danes, trying to break the Siena double teams in the paint, used jumpers by Tate and Saunders to increase the lead.
Tate, Saunders and Carter also added free throws down the stretch as the defense forced missed shots and shot clock violations. A Siena three in the closing seconds of the half made the score UAlbany 21-12.
Capped by a halfcourt steal and score by Tate, UAlbany began the third on a 6-0 run. Some back and forth scoring commenced as both sides looked for points from underneath the basket.
Towards the end of the third quarter, Erin Coughlin buried the three to start a small run for UAlbany. The streak was aided by Tate earning a personal 6-0 run, twice stealing the ball at the half court line and hitting the layup on a fast break. UAlbany led 42-25 going into the fourth quarter.
UAlbany looked to slow the pace down in the fourth and focused on using up the clock and going into the paint. Tate and Carter hit jumpers to build the UAlbany advantage to 46-25 in the quarter's first two minutes.
Siena looked to the perimeter for its shots, hitting two as they traded them for layups by UAlbany. On a three-pointer from Denisha Petty-Evans off a turnover, the home team pulled to within 17 at 54-37 with four minutes remaining.
Tate and Carter kept the lead strong with late baskets as the defense held off Siena to a pair of baskets in the final four minutes. UAlbany took the 61-42 victory at the TU Center.
UAlbany will go wheels up next weekend to compete in the Women of Troy Classic in Los Angeles, California. The Great Danes take on UC Davis on Friday, December 18th at 11 p.m. ET (8 p.m. PT) in the semifinals of the tournament.
