By: Patrick Louer
ASHLAND, V.A. - The Brockport Golden Eagles women's basketball team held their own in the first half against the Elizabethtown Blue Jays, ending the first half trailing by just four points. However, the Blue Jays exploded for 58 second half points on their way to a 99-67 victory in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday.
"E-Town [Elizabethtown] shot the ball real well and rebounded well," Brockport head coach Corrine Jones said. "So credit to them."
Senior forward Harmony Philo came out firing for the Golden Eagles. Philo came into the game and wasted no time knocking down a triple. Philo led the way with a team-high 15 points while shooting 3-for-4 from deep.
"She's one of the best three-point shooters in New York," Jones said. "I think she played free, and that's awesome."
Senior guard Summer McNulty opened up the scoring for either side with a mid-range jumper. The All-American paced the Blue Jays in the first quarter, finishing with eight points through 10 minutes of action. McNulty poured in 25, a game-high. She helped the Blue Jays get out to a 21-14 lead after one.
Senior captain Shannon Blankenship propelled Brockport to a strong second quarter. The Cleveland native cut hard to the rim for an easy two. Blankenship then stole the ball away and wasted no time converting the transition layup. A quick four point swing brought Brockport within striking distance. Harmony Philo's second triple would bring the Golden Eagles within two halfway through the second quarter.
Senior forward Kaileigh Hunt was a major factor in Brockport's second quarter success. Hunt found senior guard Cam Tooley cutting to the basket for an easy two. It was one of Hunt's four assists in the first half, part of 9:3 first half assist-to-turnover ratio for Brockport.
The Golden Eagles defense generated 11 first half turnovers, playing with active hands and disrupting the Blue Jays' offensive attack. Brockport's tenacity on defense helped them win the second quarter and they found themselves only trailing 40-36 heading into the second half.
"I thought we kept going at them, continuously pressing and being active with our hands," Jones said. "I just don't think they were ready for that [in the first half]."
Elizabethtown's junior guard tandem of Makenna Mummert and Ella Gordon broke the game open for the Blue Jays in the third quarter. Their drives to the paint drew attention from multiple Golden Eagles, leaving the paint open. The two combined for 12 assists, helping Elizabethtown gain easy looks and shoot a scorching 12-for-15 from the field in the third quarter.
Junior guard Stephanie Jean-Baptiste and Harmony Philo combined for 11 of Brockport's 21 third quarter points. However, senior forward DaniRae Renno got open look after open look thanks to the Blue Jay guards. Renno's 21 points mostly came in the paint and were part of 46 points in the paint for Elizabethtown. The forward was a glass cleaner as well, snagging a game high 14 rebounds and helped Elizabethtown win the rebounding battle 45-26.
More of the same followed in the fourth quarter, as the Blue Jays dominated the pace of play and stayed extremely hot. The Blue Jays shot 58 percent from the field along with 38 percent from three to help them take a 99-67 win.
Although the outcome wasn't what they wanted, this season for Brockport was nothing short of historic. Seniors Anna Lee and Shannon Blankenship created a culture at Brockport that led them to their first NCAA birth since 2009.
"They [Lee and Blankenship] bought into something bigger than themselves," Jones said when talking about the seniors. "And that's why we're here."
It was the final game for Lee and Blankenship, along with Kaileigh Hunt, Cam Tooley and Harmony Philo. The five led Brockport to the second highest win total in a season in program history, along with a conference championship appearance in their inaugural Empire 8 season.
"They let Shannon and I lead," Lee said. "They followed us, they listened to us, and we were able to do it all together."
Elizabethtown moves on to the Round of 32 where they will face off against Randolph Macon on Saturday. Tipoff is set for 7:15 p.m.
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