UAlbany Women’s Basketball Drops Albany Cup to Siena 61-50

Courtesy: UAlbany Sports Information

Albany, N.Y. - Guard Melissa Manzer scored 15 points, including 12 in the second half, to lead Siena to a 61-50 win over UAlbany in non-conference women’s basketball at the Times Union Center on Saturday, Dec. 1. UAlbany drops to 1-7 on the season, while cross-town rival Siena evens its record at 4-4.

The Saints used a 15-7 run over the final five minutes to pull away from UAlbany to capture the Albany Cup for the fifth time in six years. Manzer scored all 12 of her second half points in the run, including hitting back-to-back three-pointers to extend Siena’s lead to 52-43 with 2:49 remaining and six foul shots in the final minute to close out the game.

UAlbany used an 11-0 run mid-way through the second half to pull within 46-43 with 5:48 left in the contest. Junior guard TaNika Thrower keyed the run by scoring four points and capped the streak with a lay-up to pull the Great Danes within three. Manzer ended the Saints almost four minute scoring drought with the first of her two second half three-pointers.

“We fought hard,” said UAlbany coach Trina Patterson of her team’s second half comeback. “We’ve been chasing. I don’t want to be chasing teams because that takes a lot of energy. I want to be chasing teams.”

Thrower scored UAlbany’s first five points of the game, as the Great Danes jumped out to a 7-3 lead just under three minutes into the contest. Siena rattled off the next 11 points to take a 14-7 advantage at the 12:42 mark. Laura Menty scored six consecutive points on two baskets and two foul shots to key the stretch.

After UAlbany pulled back within five on a jumper by freshman Kim Clements, the Saints jumped out to their biggest lead of the first half with a 9-0 run to take a 27-13 lead on consecutive Shondaya Burrell lay-ups. UAlbany scored seven of the final nine points of the half to go into intermission trailing 29-20. Sophomore Charity Iromuanya hit a three-pointer at the 3:17 mark for the Great Danes to end Siena’s run.

Thrower led the Great Danes with 18 points on 8-of-11 shooting, including 13 points in the second stanza, while Iromuanya netted seven points. Senior Kristin Higy led UAlbany with six rebounds. Menty was the high-scorer for Siena with 16 points, 10 of which came in the opening half. Burrell tallied 13 points and a game-high nine rebounds in the contest.