The Berkeley College of New York women’s basketball
team won its third consecutive contest, turning back the Bulldogs of
Briarcliffe College by a score of 62-50 on Saturday evening in a game played at
the Wellness Center on the campus of the College of New Rochelle. The Knights –
now boasting a 12-3 record on the 2013-2014 campaign – have won seven of their
last eight games.
Berkeley’s latest triumph did not come without some
resistance from the Bulldogs. The Knights seemed to be in complete control of
this one early, leading the game by a score of 17-3 with just over nine minutes
remaining in the first half. Berkeley’s stellar defense in the opening stanza
saw the Knights not allow a Briarcliffe field goal until 8:59 remaining in the
first session, when the Bulldogs’ Sasha SantaMaria nailed a three-point basket
to bring her team within 11 points at 17-6. At the half, Berkeley held what
appeared to be a comfortable 23-11 lead.
In the second half, the Bulldogs came out hitting on
all cylinders, beginning the session with a furious 17-4 run to take a 28-27
lead with 14:16 to go in the game. Over the next 4:07 of play, there would be
two lead changes and three ties, until Berkeley College newcomer Jasmine
Sanders nailed a three-point basket to give the Knights a 39-36 lead with 9:32
remaining. Berkeley would never trail again from that point on, as the Knights
buckled down on defense and gradually built their advantage, eventually
nailing-down the 12 point win.
Senior guard Aiyesha Brown paced the Knights with a
team-high 19 points to go along with seven rebounds, four assists, two steals,
and two blocks, and junior forward Milan Germany posted yet another
double-double as she connected on 10 of her 12 attempts from the charity stripe
and finished with 18 points, 14 rebounds, four assists, three blocks, and three
steals. Sanders finalized her night with 10 points and six boards.
Despite the loss for the Bulldogs, Briarcliffe College
was led by Kiara Johnson who scored a game-high 31 points to go along with six
rebounds and three steals. Shentia Urquhart also added 16 points and eight
rebounds, as well.
The Knights won the game despite struggling with their
shot all afternoon long. Berkeley hit on just 26.1 percent of their attempts
from the floor (18-69), a statistic that also includes 17 misses from
three-point range. The Bulldogs shot better from the floor in the second
stanza, but ultimately nailed just 22.2 percent of their attempts for the night
(12-54). The Knights held an impressive 64-38 advantage on the glass, while
also dishing 11 assists to Briarcliffe’s two. Berkeley held a slight 9-7 edge
in steals, while also swatting five shots to the Bulldogs’ two.
Berkeley College will get right back to work Sunday
afternoon, as the Knights will host NHTI at the College of New Rochelle.
Start-time for the contest is scheduled for 1:00pm.
