Score: New Hampshire 56, UAlbany 53
Location: Lundholm Gymnasium in Durham, NH.
Records: New Hampshire (10-16, 7-7 AE), UAlbany (9-18, 5-9 AE)
Short Story: Despite double-digit performances from
Helene Haegerstrand and
Alexi Schecter, the University at Albany women's basketball team came up short to the Wildcats, in a game that came down to the final minutes of play.
Key Stats:
- Haegerstrand led the way with 15 points and seven rebounds.
- Schecter notched 11 points and five rebounds.
- Amanda Kantzy had nine points and seven rebounds.
- Izzy Om tallied a career-high eight points.
- Khepera Stokes recorded six points, six rebounds and six assists.
- New Hampshire tallied 21 points off UAlbany turnovers.
- Points in the paint were even at 28 apiece.
- New Hampshire recorded 13 points off fast breaks to UAlbany's four.
- The Wildcats scored 23 points in the third quarter after being held to just three in the second quarter.
Recap
The University at Albany women's basketball team closed out the regular season series against the Wildcats on Saturday, falling by a score of 56-53. New Hampshire once again pulled ahead in the final minutes of play similar to the first time the two teams met on January 15.
When the two teams met in SEFCU Arena, the Great Danes held a 47-46 lead with 36 seconds remaining. On the next possession, the Wildcats tallied a layup to hold on for 48-47 thrilling win.
Very close to the first matchup between the teams, UAlbany led 53-52 with 1:45 remaining. New Hampshire tallied the next four points, holding on for another victory that came down to the wire.
The Wildcats got off to a quick 2-0 lead in the first, but the Great Danes responded with back-to-back layups by Haegerstrand and Kantzy. The scoring continued for UAlbany with a jumper by Schecter to put the Great Danes up 6-2 at the 6:49 mark. Three straight points by the Wildcats trimmed the lead to 6-5, but Haegerstrand answered with a layup to increase the lead to three. Down 8-5 at the 4:58 mark, New Hampshire went on a 5-0 run to take a 10-8 advantage. A Schecter layup and a Kusmal Aslan free throw gave UAlbany the lead back at the 1:24 mark. Haegerstrand knocked down a jumper with 44 seconds left, and the Great Danes held a 13-12 lead into the second.
The Great Danes had a stellar defensive performance in the second quarter, holding New Hampshire to just three points. Haegerstrand kicked things off with a three-pointer at the 9:38 mark to increase the lead to 16-12. Neither team scored until a Kantzy layup with 4:46 remaining, putting the Great Danes up 18-12. New Hampshire eventually tallied its first point of the quarter on a free throw at the 3:57 mark. Two Haegerstrand free throws put the Great Danes up 20-13, eventually held onto a 22-15 lead heading into halftime.
After being held to three points in the second, the Wildcats got back in track in the third quarter. Four straight free throws for New Hampshire cut the UAlbany lead to 22-19 at the 8:37 mark. An Om three-pointer stopped the Wildcats' scoring run briefly, but New Hampshire kept fighting back. With the Great Danes up 27-21 at the 7:19 mark, New Hampshire notched five straight points to trim the lead to one. Om hit another three to put the Great Danes up 30-26, but the Wildcats continued to trim the lead right back to one or two. With UAlbany up 35-21, New Hampshire tallied back-to-back three pointers to take a 37-35 lead, its first time in front since the first quarter. Kantzy knotted the contest up at 37 with a layup, but New Hampshire converted on a free throw with 38 seconds remaining and took a 38-37 lead into the fourth.
Schecter gave the Great Danes the lead back on a layup to start the fourth quarter. New Hampshire quickly answered back on a free throw to tie the contest up at 39. A Schecter jumper and a three-point play by Kantzy put the Great Danes up 44-39 with 7:30 remaining. After UAlbany led 48-43 at the 5:06 mark, the Wildcats responded with four quick points to trim the lead to one. A Stokes layup and Schecter free throw kept the Great Danes ahead, but New Hampshire continued to cut into the deficit. After free throws by Haegerstrand gave UAlbany a slim 53-52 advantage with 1:45 left, New Hampshire scored the next four points to seal the win.
Next
The Great Danes will host UMass Lowell for Senior Day on Wednesday, February 26. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m.
