QUEENSBURY – The Lady Raiders took a 12-5 record and a three-game win streak to SUNY Adirondack on Saturday afternoon, but the 4-10 Lady Timberwolves came as close as possible to upsetting the Blue and White. Co-Captain Jessica Woney keyed a come-from-behind 74-72 victory.
Photo: Key Contributors – Stephanie Rice (left) led FM's scoring, Jess Woney (center) made the final big plays, and Torri Richard (right) scored the winning basket
The game began in an as-predicted manner. Stephanie Rice, Radasha Pope, and Woney all drove through the paint for two-pointers, and FM led 6-0. FM was playing their usual game as two threes by Rice kept the Lady Raiders in front, 19-17. But then the home team improved their shooting, and FM's offense went cold. The Lady Timberwolves tallied 14 unanswered points and took a 31-19 lead with 5:24 left in the first half.
Adirondack had won that portion of the game, but then the Lady Raiders mounted a comeback. Rice and Woney scored. Pope scored from the charity stripe and drove for two more. Torri Richard stole the ball and sent it to Pope for two points. Woney sank a three and Rice added a long two. The Lady Raiders had regained the lead 34-33 with a minute left in the half. But the Lady T-Wolves were ready for a comeback.
Photo: Jessica Woney sinks a first-half three-pointer
The home team's Brittani Sardina and Beanna Hastings sank three FT's. Adirondack took a 36-34 lead into the break.
The second stanza began with Adirondack continuing to shoot well, while FM found it difficult to get the ball through the hoop. Abby Boyer connected for two, but the home team still led 40-36.
Adirondack's Alexis Smith had a huge day. She converted a three-point play en route to a 31-point performance. The T-Wolves added to their total and led 50-39 and 54-43. Finally, as the midpoint of the second half neared, Richard sank two FT's and Rice took a pass from Evanda Redwood and netted a sweet, spinning hook shot, trimming the gap to seven points.
Redwood nailed a long two and then a three from the right side. FM trailed 60-55.
Torri Richard was a sparkplug. She scored with a steal-sprint-stop-and-shoot, cutting the lead to 64-61. Rice passed to Angel Gittens, who scored. With 2:31 on the clock, Rice sank two from the foul line and tied the game at 67-67. But Adirondack went right back in front. They led 72-69 with 43.4 showing on the clock, and FM's leading scorer, Rice, had fouled out.
Photo: Stephanie Rice's spinning hook shot cut Adirondack's lead to seven
Jessica Woney has been a key figure in the Lady Raiders' success this season. She typically scores in double figures and leads the team in assists. That's just what Woney did again on Saturday. Woney scored a game-saving three from the center of the arc, tying the game 72-72 with mere seconds left. But the T-Wolves had the ball and were attacking, seeking the winning shot. Woney then stole the ball and fired a breakout pass to Torri Richard.
Richard sprinted upcourt and scored before defender Smith could stop her. Richard had scored the winning basket with 0.8 seconds left to play. FM's defense killed the clock, and the Lady Raiders had truly, as the saying goes, snatched victory from the jaws of defeat. The final score was 74-72.
FM is now 13-5 overall and 7-2 in Mountain Valley Conference play. Adirondack is 4-11 (3-5). The Lady Raiders' next game will be on Wednesday, January 28 when they host Schenectady CCC at 5:00 p.m.
C.J. Bonny, website writer
Scoring:
FMCC: Pope 4-4-12, Woney 5-2-14, Richard 4-3-11, Rice 8-3-21, Redwood 4-0-9, Gittens 1-0-2, Boyer 2-1-5; Totals 28-13-74
Three-point goals: 5 (Woney 2, Rice 2, Redwood)
Adirondack: Sardina 7-4-18, McDonough 2-0-4, Smith 12-7-31, Jenkins 3-6-12, Hastings 2-3-7; Totals 26-20-72
Three-point goals: none
Halftime: Adirondack 36 – FM 34
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