ANNANDALE-ON-HUDSON, N.Y. - The Sarah Lawrence women's basketball team travelled to Bard College on Monday night, returning to Bronxville with a nine-point victory over the hosting Raptors. First Year
Sarah Theriault led all players with a career-high 29 points as the South Berwick, Maine product flirted with a triple-double.
Notable Performers
- Theriault scored her 29 points efficiently, shooting 62.5% while adding in nine rebounds, seven steals and three assists
- Colleen Coughlin scored 15 points while grabbing six rebounds, distributing three assists and registering three steals
- Jade Ling Eng-Stewart scored 12 points while pulling down eight rebounds in the win
How it Happened
The Gryphons got contributions from a trio of impactful first years early, as
Jersana Moore opened the team's scoring off her own steal, before Theriault got involved with a putback score. Eng-Stewart joined the party next, scoring the next four points for the team and putting the Gryphons up 8-3 early. After an answer by Bard, Theriault gave the Gryphons five more points, including a three-point play on another second-chance effort. The Raptors responded with a run to close the gap, trailing just 13-12 after a Jessica Martin triple, but Theriault once again powered the SLC offense, scoring four more points, including a fast break score after stealing a Bard pass that put the visitors up by multiple possessions with 2:15 remaining in the quarter. Each team would go quiet offensively until a one-for-two trip to the line for
Kaila Dorch in the final minute as well as a Bard triple to reduce the Sarah Lawrence lead to three points after 10 minutes.
After the scoring was dominated by Eng-Stewart and Theriault early, Moore returned to the court for SLC, netting a triple of her own just seconds into the second quarter to put the Gryphons up by two possessions. Four makes from the free throw line brought the Raptors close before
Audrey Mattison stepped into a Theriault pass and sank a three-pointer to re-assert an SLC lead. The following possession would see an immediate response from Bard's Ava Gregory, keeping the lead at just two points for the visitors. Bard's Shirley Dong tied the game a minute later with a layup, forcing an SLC timeout. Both teams would trade empty possessions before Theriault once again pulled through on the offensive glass, getting to the line and sinking both shots to put the Gryphons back in the lead. Bard answered back to tie the game before an SLC turnover allowed the hosts to take their first lead since the opening minute of play. Coughlin answered by a Theriault-assisted jumper before an immediate response by Dong put the hosts back on top. Coughlin responded once again, this time from deep to give the Gryphons back the lead briefly before Dong replied with a triple to put the Raptors back up by two. Eng-Stewart wrapped up the quarter with a layup inside, sending the teams into the halftime intermission tied at 33 points apiece.
Theriault started the third quarter with her 14th and 15th points of the night, returning the lead to the Gryphons. Dorch continued the team's strong day on the offensive glass by making it to the line after grabbing Coughlin's miss, making one of two shots and keeping the Gryphons ahead. After five straight Bard points, Theriault returned to the scorebook, cleaning up a miss from Dorch to tie the game before a Coughlin steal turned into an Eng-Stewart score in transition to give the team the lead. The Raptors closed the gap with under three to play, but layups by Coughlin and
Ariana Spanopoulos kept the team ahead while a pair of late scores by Theriault inside gave SLC a five-point advantage with seconds to go in the quarter. Gregory ended the period with a triple for Bard, but the visitors remained in the lead with 10 minutes to play.
Bard tied the game early in the fourth quarter, but Moore returned to the game and made an impact on both ends of the floor. The first year swiped a ball from Gregory and found Theriault for a fast-break score before a three-point play gave the first year her eighth point of the game. A couple of tough looks by Coughin fell in the final frame, including a leaner in the paint to put the Gryphons up by nine with three minutes remaining. Theriault, Eng-Stewart and Coughlin cleaned up the game for the Gryphons, sinking late-quarter free throws to hold off a pair of last-minute Bard triples as the visitors returned to Bronxville with a nine-point victory.
Up Next
The Gryphons (3-4, Skyline 1-2) will return to action on Wednesday as the team wraps up its non-conference slate with a home bout against Hunter College. The Gryphons and Hawks will face off at the Campbell Sports Center for game one of an SLC basketball doubleheader before the men's program takes on Pratt.
