FREDERICK, Md. – Despite
Tiffany Manning's (Randallstown, Md./Western Tech) second consecutive double-double and a career night on the boards, Hood College women's basketball came up short 63-59 against Alvernia University in Wednesday night's Faculty Appreciation game.
Inside the Box Score
Manning finished with a 12 point and career-best 15 rebound double-double.
Chanelle Lee (Brunswick, Md./Saint John's Catholic Prep) finished with 13 points and eight rebounds.
How it Happened
The Golden Wolves jumped out to a quick 13-3 lead.
Sami Betley (Bel Air, Md./Mercy) responded and brought the lead below double digits. However, Alvernia answered and built their lead back up. Led by Jordyn Ingelido, the Golden Wolves seemed to convert on high percentage looks and finish the first quarter with a 20-7 lead.
The second quarter played out in similar fashion. Alvernia was making shots from beyond the arc and turning Hood's turnovers into points on the other end. With things not seeming to go their way, the Blazers didn't stop fighting. Manning and
Kourtney Johnson (Silver Spring, Md./Paint Branch High School) combined for the Blazers' early offense in the second quarter. First year guards
Aliyah Taylor (Randallstown, Md./Pikesville High School) and
Maya Gordon (Towson, Md./Loch Raven High School) made an impact as well. When halftime arrived, Hood trailed 37-19.
Hood appeared to have settled in and adjusted after the break when they started to generate defensive stops. Manning turned one of her many offensive rebounds into points and Betley followed it up with a layup of her own. The Golden Wolves tried to respond but Taylor went on a scoring run to outdo them. A pair of three pointers from Lee and
Mari Faust (Burke, VA/Lake Braddock) gave the Blazers momentum as they finished the third quarter having nearly cut the deficit in half and only down 47-37.
The final quarter looked to belong to the Blazers. Lee sunk another three pointer to get them going. Aggressive offense and playing through contact earned multiple Blazers trips to the free throw line where they made the most of their opportunities. Lee found Johnson for an easy layup before making her third three pointer of the night on the following possession; she tied the game up 55-55 with two minutes left. Kylie Bradford started earning trips to the free throw line for herself where she gave Alvernia a slim 59-55 lead. A pair of free throws and a clutch jump shot later, Manning built on a career night and tied the game 59-59 with 15 seconds left. The Golden Wolves drew a foul on the ensuing possession and made both free throws. A late turnover prevented Hood from having a chance to answer. In the end, Alvernia made two more free throws to put it out of reach and win the conference thriller 63-59.
For the Opponent
Kylie Bradford posted a 22 point and 19 rebound double-double.
Ingelido finished with 18 points and shot 80 percent from the field.
Analysis
Alvernia snagged 14 steals to Hood's four.
The Golden Wolves bench outscored the Blazers' 23-14.
Up Next
The Blazers travel to Messiah Saturday, February 1 where they look to bounce back in another conference game at 2 p.m..
