Box Score Nov. 13, 2010
Box Score
Senior G Janea Aiken scored 33 points, including a pair of free throws in the final five seconds, to left C.W. Post over UMass Lowell, 56-55, Saturday afternoon in the first round of the Yellow Jacket Classic at American International College.
UMass Lowell (0-1) meets Bloomfield (0-1) Sunday at 3:30. AIC (1-0) defeated Bloomfield, 56-50, in the earlier game Saturday, and hosts C.W. Post Sunday at 1:30.
Sophomore G Bianca Simmons (Middletown, Conn.) led UMass Lowell with 24 points and three assists while sophomore F Brianna Wilson (Lowell, Mass.) chipped in 10 points, on 5-of-10 field goal shooting, along with seven rebounds in 16 minutes.
Aiken also grabbed six rebounds for the Pioneers, the preseason favorite in the East Coast Conference, while sophomore C Nicole Marciniak added 10 points and eight rebounds on 4-8 field goal shooting.
"I liked that we came back," said Head Coach Kathy O'Neil. "We had our opportunities and when you're playing a good team you've got to take advantage of your opportunities. We missed our layups and some free throws. You can't do those things when you're playing a good team.
"But we did battle," she added.
The River Hawks converted only 13 of 22 attempts from the free throw line while C.W. Post hit 13 of 19.
UMass Lowell trailed 50-45 with 5:48 left to play, but the River Hawks knotted the score at 52-52 with 3:58 remaining behind a layup and free throw from Simmons and layups from senior G Krissy Little (Concord, N.H.) and Wilson.
After a layup from Marciniak, Simmons meshed a 3-point shot to give the River Hawks a 55-54 edge with 3:16 remaining. Both teams struggled from the field thereafter with UMass Lowell misfiring on their next five attempts and C.W. Post on its next three along with a turnover.
Senior F Alyssa Lombardi grabbed the rebound off a missed layup with 41 seconds remaining and C.W. Post held possession until five seconds left when Aiken drew a foul and converted the pivotal free throws.
In the first half, C.W. Post jumped out to a 23-7 lead behind 10 points from Aiken and six from Marciniak. The River Hawks, however, regrouped and scored 16 straight points - hitting 6 of 12 field goals - to level at the break, 23-23. Simmons led the run with eight points.
