Danbury, CT— The Sage College's women's basketball team opened the new season on Tuesday night on the road facing the Colonials of Western Connecticut State University. Sophomore guard Jancy Sherwood (Poughquag, NY) buried a three-pointer with six seconds remaining to lift the Western Connecticut State University women's basketball team to a thrilling 69-67 victory over The Sage Colleges in the season opener for both teams at Feldman Arena on Tuesday night.
Sage took a 67-66 lead with 10 seconds left in the fourth quarter as senior guard Frankie Pearson (Hoosick Falls, NY/Hoosick Falls Central) sunk a jumper, but the Colonials answered back seconds later to dash the Gators' hoops on opening night. Pearson finished with 13 points in the action, while sophomore Kaitlyn Bowman (Dannemora, NY/Saranac) exploded for career-best 23 points after burying 10-15 from the floor to lead Sage.
Sophomore guard Macie Holmes (Amsterdam, NY/Mekeel Christian Academy) added seven points with five assists. Newcomer Gessica Patregnani (Troy, NY/Lansingburgh) added 13 points with a team-best seven rebounds in her collegiate debut.
Sherwood, one of four Colonials in double digits in the scoring column, finishing with 10 points, answered a go-ahead jumper in the lane by Frankie Pearson, just four seconds earlier than her heroic bucket.
Emily Dobson (Westerly, RI) led the winners with 16 points and nine rebounds. Kaitlyn LaBonte (South Windsor, CT) added 12 points while Samantha Smith (Wallingford, CT) matched Sherwood's 10 markers. Senior Alyssa Eannotti (Shelton, CT) joined Dobson with a game-high nine rebounds for the Colonials, now 1-0.
The Colonials led by as many as seven points twice, the last time was following a pair of free throws by LaBonte with 5:46 remaining in the third quarter. At that point, they lead 39-32, but Sage rattled off nine of the game's next 11 points to draw even, 41-41 at the 2:48 mark.
Western took a slim 49-48 lead in the closing seconds of the period following a layup by Dobson, setting up a frantic final 10 minutes. In the fourth quarter alone there were eight lead changes and three deadlocks between the two clubs.
WCSU led 31-26 at the half before the Gators took a 3-point lead in the 3rd quarter, 44-41 after Patregnani hit back to back threes to tie the game at 41-41 at 2:48 and give Sage a lead at 2:07.
Pearson ranks 10th all-time at Sage in career points and now has 772 points, while adding to her active career three-point record as she now has 136 three's. By game's end, junior forward Gen Schoff (Little Falls, NY/Little Falls) connected for nine points with five rebounds, elevating her career resume as well as she has 645 points, while standing No. 14 in career rebounding at Sage with 400 boards.
Sage returns to action on November 19-20 travelling to Plattsburgh State University to compete in the Cardinals' Tip-Off Tournament. Sage facing the University of Southern Maine in the opening round on Saturday at 8 p.m.