Box Score WASHINGTON - Gallaudet University women's basketball is going to the 'ship as the kids say. Top-seeded GU held off a strong effort by fourth-seed St. Mary's College of Maryland in the 2022 United East Women's Basketball Tournament semifinals as the host Bison won, 62-55, before a boisterous crowd of 388 in the Field House.
Gallaudet (16-8) will play for the United East championship on Saturday afternoon in the Field House at 4 p.m. against No. 2 seed SUNY Morrisville (18-7). GU swept the season series with the Mustangs.
Second-seed SUNY Morrisville dispatched third-seed Penn State Harrisburg by 18 points, 78-60, as five different players scored 12 or more points. Guard Rachel Vieira led the way with a 17-point game. Two other players had double-doubles in the win. The Lions (16-9) were led by forward Anna Mahan's 19-point, 11-rebound performance before she fouled out in the closing minute of the game.
GU held the lead for the majority of the first quarter before the Seahawks (12-13) made a big 3-pointer and led 14-11 after 10 minutes of play. The Bison regained the lead in the second half as they outscored the Seahawks, 18-14, and took a 29-28 lead into intermission.
The two teams were evenly matched in the third quarter as both teams netted 15 points. It all came down to the fourth quarter, where St. Mary's briefly led, 48-46, and hung around and kept things close until the final buzzer. GU outscored St. Mary's 10-5 in the final four minutes of play.
Sophomore forward Malia Zornoza (Riverside, Calif.) recorded a double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Bison. Senior guard Emelia Beldon (Frederick, Md.) added 16 points, five rebounds, five assists and two steals. Sophomore forward Cassidy Perry (Frederick, Md.), the 2021-22 United East Player of the Year, netted 14 points and 14 rebounds for her 15th double-double this season. She added two blocks, two assists and one steal. Sophomore guard Sunita Schmidjorg (Austin, Texas) tallied nine points, six rebounds, three assists and two steals.
St. Mary's had three different players in double figures led by guard Karon Williams' 16-point performance. The Seahawks received 22 points from their bench in the loss.
BISON TRACKS
- Sophomore Serenity Fry (East Los Angles, Calif.) came off the bench to score six points
- The Bison scored 34 points in the paint
- Gallaudet tallied 21 second-chance points
- GU avenged its 51-42 loss at St. Mary's just 10 days ago
- That loss snapped Gallaudet's nine-game winning streak
UP NEXT
Gallaudet will play for a berth into the 2022 NCAA Division III women's basketball championship as Saturday's conference championship winner will earn the United East's automatic qualifer into the national tournament.
2022 United East Women's Basketball Tournament
Championship - Saturday, Feb. 26
No. 1 Gallaudet vs. No. 2 SUNY Morrisville, 4 p.m. | Video | Tickets
Semifinals - Friday, Feb. 25
No. 1 Gallaudet 62, No. 4 St. Mary's 55 | Box Score
No. 2 SUNY Morrisville 78, No. 3 Penn State Harrisburg 60 | Box Score
Also see:
