The Keuka College Women’s Basketball team battled Hartwick College on Tuesday in an Empire 8 matchup at Hartwick College. Despite a strong defensive effort and a dominant rebounding performance, the Wolves came up short, falling 51-44.
Mary Cotter (Hershey, Pa. / Hershey) led the Wolves with a game-high 16 points, including two three-pointers. Brooke Burd (Canisteo, N.Y. / Canisteo-Greenwood) was a force on the boards, with 6 points and an impressive 21 rebounds. Lillian Mullen (Canisteo, N.Y. / Canisteo-Greenwood) contributed 11 points off the bench.
The game began as a back-and-forth battle, with Keuka taking an early 3-0 lead on a three-pointer by Cotter. The Wolves showcased their defensive intensity in the first quarter, forcing turnovers and limiting Hartwick’s second-chance opportunities. Lillian Mullen hit a fast-break three-pointer to send Keuka into the second quarter, trailing 13-12.
In the second quarter, Hartwick extended their lead early, but an early and-one by Sydney Brown (Lowville, N.Y. / Lowville Academy) kept Keuka within three. With four minutes remaining Mullen added a layup to bring the Wolves their first lead of the game since the game was scored 5-4. In the closing minutes, Hartwick responded with a late surge to take a 25-22 lead into halftime.
The third quarter was another tightly contested frame, with Keuka holding Hartwick to just 13 points while scoring 14 of their own. Keuka’s offense was led by Cotter, who hit a jumper early to cut the Hartwick lead to one. Burd dominated the boards, collecting several offensive rebounds to extend possessions while Cotter added more points both in the paint and a late three-pointer. This brought the Wolves close heading into the fourth quarter, trailing 38-36.
Keuka continued to fight in the fourth quarter, which held Hartwick to twenty-five percent shooting from the field. However, Keuka struggled to find offensive consistency as well. Cotter sank two free throws early in the quarter to cut the deficit to two, and Mullen added a layup to keep the Wolves within reach. However, Hartwick sealed the game at 51-44 with late free throws and a layup in the final minute to hold off Keuka’s comeback attempt.
KC Notes:
- Keuka College moves to 4-11 in the all-time series against the Hawks, with Hartwick winning nine straight
- Katie Deatherage (Canandaigua, N.Y. / Marcus Whitman) has surpassed 200 points in her career
- Brooke Burd collected 21 rebounds, a new season-high
- Burd leads the Empire 8 Conference in rebounds per game, averaging 10.2
Up Next for Keuka College: The Green and Gold will return to their home court on Friday, January 17, for a conference matchup against SUNY Geneseo. This will be the first meeting of the two teams since Geneseo joined the Empire 8 Conference.
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