BURLINGTON, Vt. - During its first action of the preseason, the Saint Michael's College women's basketball put together a strong showing at Division I University of Vermont on Saturday before dropping a 64-55 decision during an exhibition contest in Patrick Gymnasium. The Purple Knights led early in the second half and only trailed by two points with as little as 5:24 remaining in regulation.
Senior Caitlin Quinn (Oakdale, Conn./Montville) led Saint Michael's with 16 points and three steals, going 4-of-8 from three-point range, while junior Kayla Carnell (Burlington, Mass./Burlington) also hit double figures, netting 10 points behind a 4-for-5 shooting effort. Classmate Cara Deroy (Hamden, Conn./Hamden) recorded eight points and four assists off the bench, and senior Coreen Hennessy (Chatham, N.H./Fryeburg Academy) had nine points. The Purple Knights shot 43.8 percent, including 45.5 percent from three, going 5-of-11. Despite a size disadvantage, the visitors were narrowly outrebounded, 42-39.
Junior Lauren Buschmann (Saint Catharines, Ontario/Governor Simcoe) led the Catamounts with 23 points and 17 rebounds, and freshman Niki Taylor (York, Maine/York) chipped in 11 points. Saint Michael's held the hosts to 35.6 percent shooting, including 4-of-23 from beyond the arc.
Quinn knocked down a three-pointer 10 seconds into the second half to put the Purple Knights on top, 33-32, and junior Megan Olsen's (Glenmont, N.Y./Bethlehem Central) bucket later tied the game at 38 before the Catamounts forged a 45-39 advantage by 12:09. However, Deroy dropped in a bucket before dishing to Carnell, who hit a long jumper during a 5-1 run that made it 46-44. The teams continued to trade hoops, with Carnell adding another hoop and two free throws to keep her team within 52-50 with less than six minutes remaining.
Vermont scored the next seven points to pull away, with Saint Michael's coming no closer than six, at 59-53, when Hennessy hit a three-pointer at 3:11.
The Catamounts netted the first six points of the game before the visitors came roaring back behind the hot shooting of Quinn, who nailed three three-pointers during a 13-4 run. Just off the bench, Deroy put a jumper off glass to cap the stretch and make it 13-10 at the 14-minute mark. After Vermont tied the game, Deroy found sophomore Alexa Long (Waterford, Conn./Waterford) down low for a bucket that put her team back up, 15-13.
The Purple Knights yielded a four-point run to fall behind, but Deroy slashed to the hoop to knot the game at 19, and Quinn's baseline drive ended with a go-ahead lay-in, providing her squad with a 21-19 edge at 9:48. After Carnell hit a long jumper, Deroy picked up a steal and before driving down court for a hoop to keep Saint Michael's in front, 28-25. Hennessy followed suit with a pick and a long drive to make it 30-27, but Vermont scored the final five points of the period, including sophomore Sam Simononis (Perkasie, Pa./Pennridge) hitting a go-ahead three-pointer with four seconds remaining.
The Purple Knights host Saint Lawrence University next Saturday, Nov. 5, at 6 p.m. for their final exhibition game. On Saturday, Nov. 12, Saint Michael's begins its 2011-12 regular season with a 6 p.m. contest at Shippensburg University during the opening round of the Wolf's Bus Line Classic.
