Owls split vs. Roos
CANTON, NY– The UM-Presque Isle women’s basketball team lost its final game of the season on the road last Tuesday afternoon, 69-54 to SUNY-Canton at St. Lawrence University.
The Roos and Owls will square off once again in the semifinal round as they have done the past two seasons. SUNY-Canton is the No. 2 seed and the Owls are third. They play in the Sunrise Conference semifinals, to be held at St. Joseph’s College in Windham Saturday. The championship game will be played Sunday.
Last Tuesday, rebounding was a key factor as UMPI was dominated by a 53-30 advantage, including 30-9 on the offensive glass.
Freshman Renee Moore had 12 points and four rebounds off the bench to lead her Owl team and Julie Peers added 10 points and six rebounds.
The UMPI men’s basketball team earned a heartbreaking 85-80 Sunrise Conference loss in overtime to the Roos of SUNY-Canton, also last Tuesday. The game fittingly went into an extra session as both teams battled back and forth throughout the day. That was especially true in the opening 20 minutes as there were seven ties and the lead changed hands five times before the Owls settled for a 37-33 halftime lead.
The Owls came out firing to start the second half and took advantage of a slow start by the Roos to reel off a 10-0 run and boost their lead to 47-35 with 17:02 on the clock.
Rob Sanders then kick-started the Roos offense with a free throw line jumper that sparked a 20-0 run over the next five minutes. Later in the half, after the Roos misfired on a 3-pointer, the Owls converted three free throws to go ahead 60-59 with just under seven minutes remaining.
A jumper by UMPI senior Clifford McDonald, who finished with 36 points and 17 rebounds, made the score 62-59, but the hosts tied the game once again with another three-pointer on the next possession.
With just seconds left in regulation and Owls ahead 71-69, Roo guard Jajuan Vaughn penetrated the defense and scored on a driving scoop shot to knot the game at 71 apiece. A last-second three-point attempt by UMPI point guard Kyle Corrigan rattled in and out from half court to force overtime.
In OT, Corrigan scored the first five of his team’s points, but it wasn’t enough as the Roos hit 5 of 6 field goals and converted four of six free throws to secure the win.
The Owls missed the Sunrise Conference playoffs.
