News Release

UTICA, Ny - — UC WOMEN’S HOOPS WINS SUNYIT TIP-OFF TOURNAMENT

UTICA, NY – Ava Thomas (St. Raymond’s/Bronx) was named the Most Valuable Player after averaging 13 points and 13 rebounds as the Pioneers went 2-0 this weekend and claimed the SUNYIT Tip-off Tournament crown.
UC defeated Cazenovia 66-58 Friday to advance to the finals Saturday where they beat cross-town rival SUNYIT 53-41.
Freshman forward Jessica Snyder (Jordan-Elbridge/Elbridge) was named to the All-Tournament team after averaging 12 points and six boards in her first two collegiate contests. Karen Crisanti (Geneva/Geneva) averaged nine points and nine rebounds in 77 minutes of work, while Mallory Davis (Rockville/Vernon Rockville, CT) went 4-of-9 from behind the arc and averaged nine points in two Pioneer victories.
Point guard Dana Danziger (Point Pleasant/Point Pleasant, NJ) averaged eight points, three assists, and shot 11-of-14 from the charity stripe. First-year players Laura Keating (Horseheads/Whitesboro) and Kristen Vasta (Lenox/Lenox, MA) combined for ten points in just under fifty minutes of action, while Courtney Jones (Warren County/Warrenton, NC) knocked down two free-throws, marking her first career collegiate points. Maria Stipano (Ballston Spa/Ballston Spa) and Danielle Moore (Marylawn of the Oranges/East Orange, NJ) combined for four rebounds in the two game set.
The Pioneers know they will have to play great defense to compete with the top teams in the Empire 8 as the season progresses and they proved this weekend just how stifling their defense can be. UC allowed an average of 49.5 points and forced 25 steals. They held SUNYIT to a dismal 23% shooting from the floor in the championship game.
UC returns to action on November 26th at 2 p.m. as they travel to host Union College.

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Newspaper Box Score
Utica College Pioneers vs SUNYIT Wildcats
11/18/06 3:00 at Utica, NY
At Utica, NY
UTICA COLLEGE PIONEERS 53, SUNYIT WILDCATS 41
UTICA COLLEGE PIONEERS (1-0)
Ava Thomas 4-8 7-9 15; Jessica Snyder 5-15 4-9 14; Dana Danziger 1-7 4-6 7;
Karen Crisanti 2-10 2-4 6; Mallory Davis 2-10 1-2 6; Kristen Vasta 1-1 0-0
3; Laura Keating 0-3 2-4 2. Totals 15-54 20-34 53.
SUNYIT WILDCATS (1-0)
BEACH, Andrea 5-25 0-2 13; VERGIS, Jen 5-13 1-2 11; BURNS, Kieran 3-12 2-4
9; PUNDT, Hillary 3-12 0-2 6; FINCH, Shannel 0-3 2-2 2; THOMAS, Trista 0-2
0-0 0; PHELPS, Stacey 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 16-68 5-12 41.
Utica College Pioneers........   17   36  -   53
SUNYIT Wildcats...............   23   18  -   41
3-point goals-Utica College Pioneers 3-18 (Mallory Davis 1-2; Kristen Vasta
1-1; Dana Danziger 1-4; Laura Keating 0-2; Karen Crisanti 0-8; Ava Thomas
0-1), SUNYIT Wildcats 4-21 (BEACH, Andrea 3-14; BURNS, Kieran 1-6; PHELPS,
Stacey 0-1). Fouled out--Utica College Pioneers-None, SUNYIT Wildcats-None.
Rebounds-Utica College Pioneers 49 (Karen Crisanti 10; Ava Thomas 10),
SUNYIT Wildcats 50 (VERGIS, Jen 12). Assists-Utica College Pioneers 9 (Dana
Danziger 3; Karen Crisanti 3), SUNYIT Wildcats 7 (FINCH, Shannel 3). Total
fouls-Utica College Pioneers 16, SUNYIT Wildcats 26. A-83