Box Score ALBANY, N.Y. -- Visiting Nazareth dialed long distance Sunday to rally past Russell Sage for their second victory over the Gators in three days. The Golden Flyers used some torrid second-half shooting to outscore the home team 51-31 in the second half to take a 78-70 women's basketball win.
It was the fourth straight win for the Golden Flyers, who improved to 6-2 overall and 5-1 in Empire 8 Conference games. The Gators dropped to 1-4 and 1-4. Nazareth also defeated Russell Sage, 71-59, Friday at Nazareth.
Junior
Jadyn Abrams scored a season-high 31 points and went 5-for-5 from thee-point range. She also grabbed a game- and career-high 12 rebounds. Sophomore
Ryann Stefaniak added 16 points with two three-pointers and
Miyah Sizer contributed 14 points with three three-pointers.
The Golden Flyers shot the ball poorly in the first half in making just five baskets in the first quarter and three in the second. In addition, junior post player
Kim Davis picked up two early fouls and played just two minutes in the first half. As a result, Nazareth trailed by as many as 14 points in the first half before settling for a 12-point disadvantage, 39-27, at the break.
The Golden Flyers caught fire in the second half as nine of their 14 field goals came from beyond the three-point arc. Nazareth rallied in the third quarter as Abrams connected three times from long distance, Stefaniak twice and Davis once.
Stefaniak scored with 1:23 left to give Nazareth its first lead since early in the game, but the Gators' Madasyn Bush sank two free throws to tie the score at 53-53 heading into the last 10 minutes.
The Golden Flyers' hot shooting continued into the fourth quarter. After Sage scored the first basket of the period,
Miyah Sizer hit a three-pointer to give Nazareth the lead for good. She connected again later in the quarter as did freshman
Chelsea Woodsum as Nazareth steadily pulled away. Nazareth also knocked down free throws, hitting 8-of-10 in the fourth quarter with Sizer and
Elizabeth White each going 3-for-4 and Abrams hitting the other two.
Sizer also finished with five assists and White had four steals.
Nazareth returns home to host Alfred Tuesday at 8 p.m.
