Box Score Buffalo, NY – The D'Youville women's basketball team won their second straight game of their three-game home stand on Wednesday evening by defeating the Hilbert Hawks by the final score of 55-53.
Senior Alexis Smith (Hamburg, NY/Hamburg) was the early source of offense for D'Youville, scoring 7 of the team's first 12 points in the first 5:30 of play. Hilbert pulled to within one near the end of the first quarter but freshmen Jordan Smith (Hamburg, NY/Hamburg) and Monica June (Buffalo, NY/Hutch Tech) scored two late baskets and the quarter closed with the Spartans leading the Hawks 16-15.
Alexis and last game's leading scorer Colleen Wirth (Elma, NY/Iroquois) gave the Spartans a 20-17 lead just under 2 minutes into the second quarter, but Hilbert would take their first lead of the game with 4:26 to go in the half. Jordan Smith would give her team the lead back but the Hawks would quickly snatch it back. Hilbert led by 2 right before half but Danette Laguerre (Buffalo, NY/Hutch Tech) scored a layup with 0:04 seconds left and sent the two teams into the half tied 26-26.
The two teams came out and traded basket for basket in the third quarter. Hilbert had a 32-29 lead before Jean-Ann Korona (Washingtonville, NY/Washingtonville) converted a three-point play and tied the game at 32 with 3:09 left in the third. Wirth gave D'Youville the 34-32 lead with just over a minute to play in the quarter but Hilbert would take the lead back and head into the final quarter with a 35-34 lead.
To open up the fourth, Alexis Smith scored 5 consecutive points for the Spartans and they took a 39-37 lead. Hilbert would tie the game at 41 and 43 but Smith gave D'Youville lead each time on the next possession.
Late in the fourth, the team's seniors would come in clutch. Following a Smith layup to give the team a 5 point lead with 2:30 to go, Laguerre would hit 2 big free throws and extend the lead to 6. With 0:26 to go in the game, Sarah Marino (Buffalo, NY/Holy Angels Academy) grabbed a huge rebound for her team and was fouled immediately after. Marino went to the line and sank both of her foul shots to give her team a 7 point lead and again drilled 2 more free throws 0:15 later and kept the lead at 7.
Hilbert would hit a three-pointer as time expired but it was too late as D'Youville secured a win over the Hawks by the final score of 55-53.
Alexis Smith had her best scoring game of the season with 22 points, hitting jumpers and making her presence known inside the paint. Jean-Ann Korona recorded her third double-double of the season with 10 points and a team high 13 rebounds. It was her third consecutive game scoring in double-figures.
Sarah Marino had a team high 6 points and 4 rebounds coming off the bench, including 4 huge free throws in the final 0:30 of the game to help give the Spartans their second straight victory. All 5 of the D'Youville starters had at least 2 rebounds and 2 assists. Danette Laguerre had a team high 5 steals to go with her 7 points, 6 rebounds and team high 3 assists.
The women will play next on Saturday, January 30th against the AMCC's first place team, the La Roche Redhawks. Tipoff is at 3pm in the College Center Gym.
