UAlbany Women's Basketball Wins Third Straight Albany Cup with 65-48 Win Over Siena

ALBANY, N.Y. - Lindsey Lowrie and Megan Craig each scored 12 points to lead UAlbany to a 65-48 win over Siena in the 2012 Albany Cup game on Saturday evening at the Times Union Center. The Great Danes, who have now won three straight games in the crosstown-rivalry game, improve to 5-2 on the season, while Siena falls to 2-5. UAlbany scored the game's first six points, getting back-to-back 3-pointers from Lindsey Lowrie and Ebone Henry. The Great Danes extended their lead to 12-6 on a lay-in by Megan Craig at 13:51, with an assist from Henry. UAlbany continued to build an advantage, scoring the next four points to hold a 10-point, 16-6, lead, with just over 11 minutes to play in the first half. The Great Danes continued to use a strong defensive pressure, getting their fifth steal of the game and turning it into two points at the other end, holding a 22-8 advantage with 7:22 to play. Siena attempted to rally late in the half, getting baskets from Tehresa Coles and Kate Zarotney, to pull within 29-12, with just under four minutes to play. The Saints scored four straight points to further cut the UAlbany advantage to 29-16, but UAlbany would not fold as time wound down. With under a minute to play, Lowrie nailed her third 3-pointer of the game, while freshman Erin Coughlin also hit a long-range basket to set the halftime score at 35-19. Siena came out of halftime aggressive, cutting the lead to 39-24 on back-to-back baskets by Clara Anglada and Ciara Stewart. Anglada nailed her second straight 3-pointer at 15:21, but UAlbany's Margarita Rosario responded with a trey of her own to end the Saints rally at 14:58. Craig then scored consecutive buckets for the Great Danes, pushing the UAlbany lead to 46-29 with just over 12 minutes to play. With 9:33 on the clock, Henry was unable to connect on an and-one opportunity, but UAlbany got the rebound and Julie Forster laid the ball in to keep the Great Danes on top. UAlbany continued to build its lead from there, pushing the advantage to 27 points, 59-32, with just over five minutes to play on a layup by Shereesha Richards. A 3-pointer by Coles with 1:17 to play brought Siena back to within 19, 65-44, but Taylor McVey netted UAlbany's final points of the game at the minute marker. Coles scored the final points of the game, all from the free throw line, to set the final 65-48 score. Coles finished with a game-high 13 points, going 6-for-6 from the free throw line. Lily Grenci also went 6-of-6 from the charity stripe, adding in eight points and five rebounds. Siena shot just 23.7 percent (14-59) from the floor, but managed 88.2 percent (15-of-17) from the free throw line. Lowrie, who went 4-of-7 from the floor, all from beyond the 3-point line, also grabbed six rebounds and handed out two assists. Craig also grabbed six boards and recorded three blocks, in just 19 minutes of action. Forster added 10 points for the Great Danes, while Henry totaled eight points, five boards, five assists, and two blocks to fill up the stat sheet. UAlbany shot a season-high 60.0 percent (27-45) from the floor in the game, and outrebounded the Saints, 39-28.