Hackettstown, N.J. – Centenary College overcame a career-high 31 points from Keystone College's
Destinee Hall (Spring Valley, NY/Paramus Catholic) to pick up a 66-50 victory over the Giants in Colonial States Athletic Conference women's basketball action on Monday night. The Cyclones, paced by Ally Fugnitti's 23 points, improves to 13-8 on the season and 8-4 in conference play while Keystone's record drops to 7-14 overall and 4-9 in the CSAC.
Hall also broke Keystone's all-time single season record for free throws made as the freshman forward had now converted 102 attempts from the line this year, surpassing the previous mark of 100 set by Giants' Hall of Fame Bobbie Arvonio in the 2000-01 campaign. Hall went a perfect, 9-9 at the charity stripe on Monday night to break the record.
Centenary built a 13-7 lead over the first five minutes of Monday's contest before Keystone used a 10-2 run to claim a 17-15 edge at the 2:16 mark on a layup by
Dyjae Williams (Newark, NJ/Bloomfield Tech). The Cylcones went back in front on a three-pointer before Hall completed an old-fashioned three-point play to put the Giants ahead and Keystone would hold a 21-20 edge at the end of the first period.
The two teams traded field goals early in the second quarter before Centenary built a five-point lead with 3:14 remaining in the frame. Williams followed up a pair of made free throws by
Nina Hodanich (Scranton, PA/West Scranton) to bring Keystone to within 30-28, but the Cyclones answered with a three-pointer before
Daynara Elysee (Spring Valley, NY/Ramapo) made one of two from the line to make it a 33-29 game in favor of the hosts at the intermission.
Fugnitti paced Centenary with 13 points while Mallory George tallied nine points in the first half for the Cyclones, who connected on 35.1 percent of their attempts from the floor while going 4-13 from beyond the arc and 3-8 from the free throw line.
Hall led Keystone with 13 points in the opening 20 minutes of play while Williams and
Bryce Garrett (Philadelphia, PA/John Bartram) chipped in with five points apiece. Williams also pulled down a team-leading four rebounds for the Giants, who shot 28 percent from the field over the first two quarters while going 3-13 from three-point range and 12-14 from the charity stripe.
A 7-0 burst by Centenary gave the hosts a 42-32 advantage with 6:41 remaining in the third period before Hall rattled off the game's next nine points to bring Keystone to within one point at 42-41 at the 3:07 mark, but the Cyclones tallied the final four points of the quarter to take a 46-41 lead into the final 10 minute frame.
After Centenary tallied the first five points of the fourth period, Hodanich followed up a trey by Hall with a field goal to bring Keystone to within 51-46 with just over eight minutes remaining in regulation, but the Cyclones scored the game's next 11 points to put the game out of reach by building a 16-point cushion with four minutes to play while holding the Giants to just four points over the final 8:10 of the contest.
George joined Fugnitti in double-figures with 15 points and paired it with a game-high 12 rebounds for a double-double in the victory. Alexis Wilson dished out six assists for the Cyclones, who shot 41.3 percent from the field for the game including a 35.3 percent clip from downtown and a 53.3 percent showing at the line. The hosts also held a 47-32 advantage on the glass and held a slim, 19-20 edge in turnovers.
Hall tied for the 10
th highest single game scoring output in Keystone history after by going 8-19 from the field, 6-10 from long distance, and the perfect 9-9 performance from the stripe. The freshman's six three-pointers tied for the sixth-most in a single game in program history. Williams and Garrett contributed five points apiece with Williams also leading the Giants with seven caroms and three steals.
April Acosta (Bronx, NY/Evander Childs) handed out four assists while
Samantha Donahue (Taylor, PA/Riverside) added a pair of helpers for the visitors, who finished the evening hitting on 26.4 percent of their field goal efforts while going 27.6 percent from three-point land and 73.7 percent from the line.
Keystone returns to the hardwood on Wednesday evening when they host Neumann University in a Think Pink game that will be televised live by Fox 56 Sports. Opening tipoff between the Giants and Knights is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. in the Gambal Athletic Center.