WEST POINT, N.Y. (03/04/2006)—Army sophomore Cara Enright scored a game-high 27 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Black Knights to a 73-55 win over No. 5 seed Colgate University in the Patriot League Women’s Basketball Tournament Semifinals. Top-seeded Army advances to the championship game against No. 2 seed Holy Cross on March 8.
Sophomores Caitlin Gillard (Vestal, N.Y.) and Melanie Cargle (Trotwood, Ohio) led the Raiders with 13 points apiece.
The story of the game was free throws as Army went to the line 38 times, making 30 of its free attempts. The Raiders shot 16 free throws, including just two in the first half.
Army jumped out to a 6-0 lead and never trailed as the Black Knights took a 30-23 lead into the locker room. Sophomores Cara Enright and Stefanie Stone combined to score 15 of Army’s first 17 points to put the Black Knights up 17-6 at the 14:19 mark.
Enright and Stone continued to pace Army as the pair combined for 23 of the team’s 30 first-half points. The Black Knights took its largest lead of the game, 20-8, with 11:48 on the clock before Colgate stormed back to within six with a 6-0 run.
That would be as close as the Raiders could get in the opening 20 minutes, as Colgate was held scoreless for over three minutes down the stretch of the first frame. Senior Meghan Curtin (Bronx, N.Y.) knocked down a three with 55 ticks on the clock to make it a six-point game, 29-23, before Army’s Alex McGuire made it a three-possession game again at the end of the half with a free throw.
The Black Knights opened the second half with the first two baskets to go ahead by 11, 34-23, but the Raiders climbed back to within five, 36-31, with an 8-2 run. Gillard sparked the run with five points.
That would be as close as Colgate could get as Army went on a 14-8 run that spanned seven minutes and put the Black Knights ahead 50-39 at the 9:08 mark. Army led by as many as 20 points, cruising to the 18-point semifinal victory.
Enright made 11-of-14 from the field, while Stone knocked down 18 points and freshman Alex McGuire had 13. The Black Knights shot 42.9 percent from the field, including 52.4 percent in the second session.
Senior Megan Ballard (Atlanta, Ga.) and first-team all-Patriot League honoree finished the game with six points and freshman Gretchen Polinski (Mansfield, Ohio) had a team-high eight rebounds. The Raiders finished 30.6 percent from the floor.
Colgate closes out the 2005-06 season with a 9-20 record advancing to the Patriot League Tournament Semifinals for the third consecutive season. The Raiders captured the 2004 title and earned a spot in the championship game in 2005.
