The Keuka College women’s basketball team dropped its Empire 8 opener Friday night, falling 66–57 to Russell Sage College at home.
Mary Cotter (Hershey, Pa./Hershey) led the Wolves with 15 points as Keuka College moved to 5-5 overall and 0-1 in conference play. Brooke Burd (Canisteo, N.Y./Canisteo-Greenwood) recorded another double-double with 10 points and 13 rebounds. Janea Hamilton-Brown (Liverpool, N.Y./Liverpool) added 10 points, while Emilee Bacon (Buffalo, N.Y./Buffalo Academy of the Sacred Heart) finished with 12 rebounds and four blocks.
Keuka came out strong, scoring the first nine points of the game to take a 9-0 lead four minutes into the contest. Russell Sage got on the board, but the Wolves maintained the advantage throughout the opening quarter and led 14-11 after one.
Early in the second quarter, Emiley Anderson (Gerry, N.Y./Cassadaga Valley) came up with a steal that led to a layup by Cotter, pushing Keuka’s lead to five. Momentum shifted soon after, however, as Russell Sage knocked down back-to-back three-pointers to take the lead. The Gators built their advantage to as many as eight points in the half and carried a 29-23 lead into halftime.
The Wolves battled back in the third quarter. A three-pointer by Hamilton-Brown midway through the period cut the deficit to five and marked Keuka’s first three of the game. Keuka continued to chip away, trimming the margin to two on a jumper by Anderson with 3:43 remaining in the quarter. Russell Sage regained control late, hitting a three at the buzzer to take a 46-37 lead into the fourth.
Russell Sage extended its lead to as many as 16 points in the final quarter and held off Keuka’s late push to secure the 66-57 victory.
