The Aggies will play in the championship game Saturday at 6 p.m. versus the winner of Friday night’s Muhlenberg-N.C. Wesleyan game. Cortland will play in the consolation game Saturday at 1 p.m.
Freshman forward Jessica Laing (Bloomville/South Kortright) led the Red Dragons with 17 points and 10 rebounds in her collegiate debut. Junior Sara Cavanaugh (Hastings-on-Hudson/Hastings) added 15 points, seven rebounds, four assists and three blocks and sophomore Ali Canale (Oswego) scored a career-high 14 points and pulled down seven rebounds.
O’Neill made 9-of-12 shots for the Aggies, including a tournament record six three-pointers, and dished out five assists. Donohue hit 10-of-19 shots and recorded six assists, while freshman Kim Vennera (Norristown, PA/Kennedy-Kenrick) totaled 16 points, nine rebounds and five assists.
Delaware Valley jumped out to a 13-2 lead to start the game, but Cortland fought back and eventually took a 28-27 lead on a Cavanaugh three-pointer with 6:52 left in the half. The Aggies re-established a 39-32 lead on Vennera’s layup with 2:54 left, but the Red Dragons finished the period on a 13-1 run, sparked by two three-pointers from sophomore Maggie Byrne (Pearl River/Albertus Magnus), and led 45-40 at halftime. Byrne made three shots from three-point range and finished the game with nine points.
The game was tied at 58-58 with 14:16 left before the Aggies went on a 9-0 run, capped by an Angela Mensch (Royersford, PA/Spring-Ford) three-pointer with 10:09 left. Cortland got back within five at 69-64 on a Canale shot with 7:28 left, but the Aggies outscored the Red Dragons 19-7 the rest of the way.
Newspaper Box Score SUNY Cortland vs Delaware Valley (PA) 11/17/06 1 p.m. at Allentown, PA (Memorial Hall) At Allentown, PA (Memorial Hall) DELAWARE VALLEY (PA) 88, SUNY CORTLAND 71 SUNY CORTLAND (0-1) LAING, Jessica 7-13 2-3 17; CAVANAUGH, Sara 6-16 0-0 15; CANALE, Ali 7-14 0-0 14; MARTIN, Brittany 4-10 1-3 10; BYRNE, Maggie 3-6 0-0 9; WILKINSON, Andrea 2-5 1-2 6; COSTELLO, Kerry 0-0 0-0 0; DeLAY, Danielle 0-1 0-0 0; DABE, Erin 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 29-67 4-8 71. DELAWARE VALLEY (PA) (1-0) DONOHUE, Moira 10-19 2-2 25; O'NEILL, Shannon 9-12 1-2 25; VENNERA, Kim 6-16 3-4 16; JOYCE, Rachel 4-12 1-2 10; DITTMAR, Brooke 3-4 1-1 7; MENSCH, Angela 2-5 0-0 5; SANTORO, Dena 0-0 0-0 0; WILSON, Amanda 0-0 0-0 0; OYER, Michelle 0-2 0-0 0; McLEOD, Ashley 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 34-70 8-11 88. SUNY Cortland................. 45 26 - 71 Delaware Valley (PA).......... 40 48 - 88 3-point goals--SUNY Cortland 9-24 (CAVANAUGH, Sara 3-7; BYRNE, Maggie 3-5; MARTIN, Brittany 1-5; WILKINSON, Andrea 1-2; LAING, Jessica 1-5), Delaware Valley (PA) 12-25 (O'NEILL, Shannon 6-8; DONOHUE, Moira 3-7; JOYCE, Rachel 1-3; MENSCH, Angela 1-2; VENNERA, Kim 1-5). Fouled out--SUNY Cortland-None, Delaware Valley (PA)-None. Rebounds--SUNY Cortland 47 (LAING, Jessica 10), Delaware Valley (PA) 30 (VENNERA, Kim 9). Assists--SUNY Cortland 17 (CAVANAUGH, Sara 4), Delaware Valley (PA) 22 (DONOHUE, Moira 6). Total fouls--SUNY Cortland 11, Delaware Valley (PA) 14. Technical fouls--SUNY Cortland-None, Delaware Valley (PA)-None. A-50