KINGS POINT, N.Y. --- (www.OLDWESTBURYPANTHERS.com) No. 6 SUNY Old Westbury women's basketball failed to reach the Skyline Conference Championship semifinals for the second-consecutive year after falling 70-51 to the third-seeded and defending champions United States Merchant Marine Academy Mariners (21-4) on Tuesday evening in first-round road action from Liebertz Gymnasium in Kings Point, New York. The Mariners will travel to Purchase, New York for Thursday's (Feb. 27) semifinal game against the second-seeded Manhattanville College Valiants (22-3). The Panthers finished the season with a 10-16 record before clinching its fifth-straight postseason berth.
After a closely contested 8:02 of the opening quarter,
Davida Warren laid in two for Old Westbury to claim the 12-10 lead. USMMA scored six-straight points in the remaining 1:21 to capture the 16-12 going into the second stanza. Madison Demos knocked down a jumper 16 seconds into the second period to ignite a 13-6 run to push the Mariners lead to double-digits (29-18) with 3:15 remaining. Both teams are trading baskets over the next 1:35 before a
Micah Browne layup pulled the Panthers within nine, 33-24. With 35 seconds left Demos dropped in two to send USMMA into the break with the 35-24 advantage.
Old Westbury got in close as nine points, 35-26, after a
Ja'nya Flash layup at the 9:39 mark of third-quarter play. Kaleigh D'Arcy sank a free throw to ignite a 17-5 USMMA spurt from 9:21 to 3:02 to extend its lead to a game-high 21 points (52-33). Flash and Warren put together the Panthers' 7-2 run to pull within 15 points (60-45) with 5:58 showing on the fourth-quarter clock. The Mariners used a 10-4 run over the next 3:19 to build the 21-point cushion, 70-49, before Browne's layup settled the 70-51 final.
Warren finished with 15 points (7-of-15 FG) and 13 rebounds (game-high) to post her 40th-career double-double (20th on season) to pace Old Westbury. Browne followed with 10 points (4-of-8 FT), three assists and two steals while Flash chipped in 10 points (3-of-6 FG, 4-of-9 FT) and seven rebounds.
D'Arcy led all scorers with 18 points (7-of-10 FT), 10 rebounds, six assists and two blocks to help USMMA advance to the semifinals. Taylor Hightower contributed 15 points, nine rebounds and a game-high four blocks. Demos added 15 points (7-of-11 FG), nine rebounds, two blocks and two steals while Lauren Hunter poured in 10 points and pulled down 11 rebounds.
In the end, Old Westbury finished the evening shooting 37.7 percent (20-of-53) from the field, 28.6 percent (2-of-7) from beyond the arc and 47.4 percent (9-of-19) from the free-throw line. USMMA connected on 40.3 percent (29-of-72) from the floor, 23.1 percent (3-of-13) from three-point territory and 56.3 percent (9-of-16) from the charity stripe. USMMA won the boards battle, 46-38, scoring 14 second-chance points of 22 offensive rebounds. The Mariners outplayed Old Westbury in assists (21-5), blocks (8-2), steals (8-4) and fastbreak points (6-2) while scoring 21 points off 19 Panther miscues. Old Westbury held the edge in bench points (8-7). Both teams drew even in points in the paint (34-34).
At the conclusion of the game, head coach
Michael Krasnoff, senior Warren and sophomore Browne participated in the post-game interview:
Old Westbury graduates a two-member senior class consisting of
Marva Dudley-Adams (2017-18, 2019-20) and Warren (2016-20).
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