CHILI, NY – Sophomore guard
Jessica Glaz (Rockaway Beach, NY/Scholars Academy) scored 10 fourth-quarter points, as the seventh seeded RIT women's basketball team (4-1) rode a balanced offensive attack against sixth seed Nazareth (4-2), winning 74-68 in the consolation round of the Wendy's College Classic, on Thursday evening at Roberts Wesleyan College. The Tigers will play No. 5 The College at Brockport in the fifth-place game on Saturday, at 3 p.m. at SUNY Geneseo.
Glaz, finished the game with 16 points, getting hot down the stretch with 3-for-4 shooting from the field in the final quarter. She led the seventh-seeded Tigers, who had five players score in double-digits.
Julia Bender (Webster, NY/Webster Thomas) nearly had a double-double, scoring 10 points, adding nine rebounds.
Cori Okada (Fullerton, CA/Troy) and
Tara Lynch (Green Township, NJ/Newton) each added 12 points, and
Amanda Olsen (Glen Mills, PA/Archmere Academy) scored 10 points, snagging five rebounds for RIT, who got back into the win column after a two-point loss to No. 2 seed Geneseo on Tuesday.
Nazareth's Lindsay Kelly led all scorers with 17 points, going 6-for-8 from the field, adding four rebounds. The Golden Flyers were held to 40.9 percent shooting in the game, and the Tigers aggressive on the boards, netting 16 second chance points.
"It was a good team win," said RIT women's basketball head coach
Amy Reed. " I tell the kids that in this tournament, only one team can finish 3-0. We had a goal of at least finishing 2-1, and we are one step closer to that goal."
RIT started the game hot, jumping out to a quick 11-3 run. In what was the theme of the evening, the Golden Flyers responded with a run of their own, with free throws by Julia Brew bringing the deficit to within two, at 20-18. With nine seconds remaining at the end of the period, Okada, hesitated at the top of the key, then got by the defender, making a floater in the lane to give the Tigers a 22-18 lead after one. In the second quarter, Lynch shot a three-pointer from the wing, giving the Tigers an early 25-18 advantage. The Golden Flyers then went on an 11-3 run, tying the game at 29. RIT closed the half with a 9-5 advantage, as consecutive Olsen jumpers gave the Tigers the 38-34 halftime lead.
Both teams kept it close throughout the third quarter. Nazareth's Sam Sorge hit a 3-pointer from the wing, giving the Golden Flyers their first lead of the contest at 43-42. After a mid-range jumper by Olsen, Kelly responded with a layup as Nazareth took the lead again. With 1:43 left, Veronica Peck gave the Golden Flyers their biggest lead of the game, at 53-50.
From there Okada and Glaz took over for the Tigers. Okada ended the third quarter with a layup, after forcing the Nazareth turnover. Then in the fourth quarter, Glaz played aggressively. After a quick basket by the Golden Flyers,
Jessica Glaz (Rockaway Beach, NY/Scholars Academy) hit a big 3-pointer to retake the lead, at 57-55, one that RIT would not relinquish. A couple of possessions later, Glaz scored a layup on a Lynch offensive rebound, pushing the lead to five. After a missed shot, Glaz snagged the offensive rebound, dishing it out to Okada, who hit the trey, to give Tigers a 63-57 lead. RIT pulled away, getting free throws from Bender and Okada, to preserve the victory.
