Passing game leads TCNJ to playoff win
Saturday, February 16, 2013
Ewing, NJ … The College of New Jersey women’s basketball team defeated Richard Stockton College 69-57 in the opening round of the New Jersey Athletic Conference championship tournament in a late-afternoon match-up on Saturday in Packer Hall.
The third-seeded Lions now advance to play at second-seeded William Paterson University on Wednesday night at 7 p.m. in the semi-final match. The winner of the Ramapo College at Rutgers-Newark game at 7 p.m. this evening will play top-seeded Montclair State University.
It marked the first post-season win for TCNJ since the 2008-09 season when they advanced to the NCAA Final Four. Vision and execution may best summarize the Lions’ offensive performance. Their passing was superb as they assisted on 18 of 22 field goals in the victory and shot 52 percent from three.
Senior Candace Vigo (New Brunswick, NJ/New Brunswick Science and Tech) led TCNJ in scoring with 13 points. She also had five rebounds and four steals. Junior guard Tiffany DeTulio (Colts Neck, NJ/Colts Neck) finished with 10 points and three assists, while freshman Angelica Esposito (Lincroft, NJ/St. John Vianney) netted 10 points in her post-season debut.
Senior Che’Na Thompson (Salem, NJ/Salem) had a terrific outing in her final collegiate game. She netted a game-high 24 points and collected 18 rebounds. Sophomore Sara Farrell (Marlton, NJ/Cherokee) finished 12 points and six boards, while Alex Nardoza (Woodbridge, NJ/Woodbridge) put forth a solid all-around effort with eight points, three assists, three steals, and two blocks.
It was an entertaining first half as play remained even midway through the period. TCNJ capitalized on some exceptional passing from junior Kelly Roddy (Belmar, NJ/St. Rose) and sophomore Kylie O’Donnell (Magnolia, NJ/Sterling), while the Ospreys received stellar production from Thompson. She finished the half with nine points and ten rebounds.
With Stockton leading 15-13 at the midpoint of the period, the Lions scored on seven straight trips down the floor, five of which were three-point field goals. Sophomore Jessica Goldbach (Edison, NJ/John P. Stevens) hit a layup and then drained a three-point shot. Vigo took a feed from Roddy and banked in a bucket underneath to put the Lions ahead 20-17.
The shooting guards could not miss over the next three minutes of play, burying four consecutive three-point shots. DeTulio hit back-to-back shots from behind the arc, followed by a 3-pointer from Esposito. The freshman guard then found Roddy on the ensuing possession, who promptly knocked down another shot from long distance to put TCNJ up 32-23 with 5:17 remaining.
The Ospreys fought back, but the Lions held a 34-25 advantage at the break. They hit seven of their first 10 attempts from three-point distance as Stockton held its own rebounding collecting 27 boards to TCNJ’s 18.
The Lions continued to keep their foot on the gas in the second half. Esposito brought the crowd to its feet when she hit a long three-point shot as she was fouled. She dropped in her free throw to complete the four-point and give TCNJ a 49-35 advantage.
Stockton showed its mettle late in the game. Trialing by as much as 17 points in the second half, they cut the deficit to 60-53 as Nardoza hit a long 3-pointer with five minutes remaining. The Lions countered quickly as DeTulio connected with Vigo for a basket and Roddy hit her third shot from behind the arc of the contest to stall the Osprey momentum.
Roddy was a big part of the win as she led TCNJ with seven rebounds and five assists while also tallying nine points. O’Donnell dished out four assists and scored six points. Goldbach finished with eight point in the game.
The Lions will look to turn the tables on Wednesday night as they dropped both regular season games to the Pioneers. They own a 19-6 overall record and received a first-round bye in the tournament.