Generals Fall in First Game of Philly Classic
SUNY Niagara
85
Herkimer College
77
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
SUNY Niagara | 22 | 22 | 16 | 25 | 85 |
|
Herkimer College | 16 | 17 | 20 | 24 | 77 |
HERKIMER, NY -- The Herkimer College Women's Basketball team dropped a close 85-77 game versus No. 20 ranked Division II foe Niagara County Community College (NCCC) on Friday afternoon in the opening game of the Philly Classic.
Herkimer led most of the first quarter until Niagara took advantage of some untimely turnovers to take a 22-16 lead after the first quarter. They would build that lead to 11 going into the halftime break at 44-33.
Herkimer made some adjustments at the half and cut Niagara's lead to two near the end of the third quarter behind a swarming half-court defense and the offensive prowess of sophomore point guard Kapri Bradshaw. Bradshaw would finish the game with a season-high 32 points, including going 5-of-10 from behind the arc while adding a career-high 15 assists.
Niagara pushed the lead up to seven going into the final 10 minutes, getting as high as 13 points before back-to-back threes from sophomore Ajla Sejdic (Utica, NY) and freshman guard Hinano Imamura pulled Herkimer within striking distance.
The Generals would continue to fight as sophomore Jenna Faulkner and freshman Lydia Reimer battled underneath with two baskets and fouls to pull as close as three points before Niagara hit some big shots to extend the lead to its final score.
Sejdic scored 14 points, while Faulkner scored 14 and grabbed 16 rebounds for her third consecutive double-double. Reimer added eight points and eight rebounds.
"I am so incredibly proud of our team. They showed grit, passion, and heart for the entire 40 minutes against a Division II powerhouse," said head coach Matt Hazzard. "The team defense was strong, but Niagara does a great job with transition and spreading the floor for three-pointers that makes it really tough to defend. This game I feel was a big step forward for both our team and the program as a whole. To play a big program that tough says a lot about where we are and where we are going."
Herkimer returns to the court on Sunday to face Sullivan County Community College in the second game of the Philly Classic, with a scheduled tip-off of 12 p.m.