NEW YORK, NY – With the odds against them and only six active players, the No. 5 seeded City College women's basketball team stunned the No. 4 seed Hunter Hawks by a final score of 69-67 Saturday afternoon.
Tuesday at 6:00 pm, the Beavers will be competing against top-seeded Brooklyn College for a chance to play in the CUNYAC Championship game. This is the second consecutive season the Lavender & Black have played in the semifinals.
Sophomore Debra Chan orchestrated one of her best performances of the season, scoring a game-high 17 points on six-of-11 shooting. Chan hit four three-point field goals on eight attempts.
Senior Erika Richards scored 13 points, and pulled in five steals. Senior Alexis Akridge ended the game with her tenth double-double of the season. Akridge finished with 13 points, a game-high 16 rebounds, and four steals.
Junior Erica Redwood had 11 points and two steals. Freshman Elizabeth Zullo finished the game with 10 points, three assists and two rebounds, while senior Marissa Olsen posted five points, four rebounds, three assists and a block.
Akridge started the scoring for CCNY to begin the game, hitting two shots in the first minute of play. A layup from Richards late in the quarter (00:44) gave the Beavers a nine point lead. The quarter ended with CCNY leading Hunter, 19-12.
A three pointer from Debra Chan (6:51) gave City their largest lead of the first half; holding a 11 point lead (27-16) over the Hawks. A basket from Chan with 24 seconds remaining, gave CCNY a 33-29 edge heading in the halftime.
In the third quarter, a layup from Erica Redwood gave the Beavers a five point cushion with 6:39 on the clock. Hunter answered back going on 8-2 run to end the quarter leading CCNY 52-51.
CCNY started the fourth quarter with a trifecta from Debra Chan to regain the lead 54-52 in the contest. Late in the period, Hunter would go on a 6-0 run to tie the game (67-67) with 1:18 remaining in regulation.
Fouls by Hunter would sent CCNY to the free throw line with 33 seconds left in the game. Both Richards and Chan would hit free throws to secure the upset win over the Hawks.
The CUNYAC women's basketball championships will be hosted at CCNY next week (Feb. 21 and Feb. 24). Tuesday's semifinal game between No. 5 CCNY and No. 1 Brooklyn will begin a 6:00 pm.
