BOX SCORE
SEATTLE, Wash. (Dec. 29, 2011) – A go-ahead layup by Seattle's Talisa Rhea with 19 seconds to play and a trio of free throw conversions gave the home-standing Redhawks a 74-70 win over Saint Francis University in the opening round of the Delta Dental Holiday Hoops Tournament on Thursday.
Rhea's score was the last of six second-half lead changes in an entertaining period that saw each team score 39 points. It was the first half, however, that proved too much to overcome for the Red Flash.
“We lost this game in the first half, to be really honest,” said head coach Susan Robinson Fruchtl. “We only had four offensive rebounds and we didn't play good transition defense.”
“We took too many quick threes in the first half and we kind of shot our way out of it.”
SFU led for the first nine-and-a-half minutes and by as many as six points before Seattle took its first lead of the game, 19-18, on a Elle Kerfoot jumper. The Redhawks maintained an advantage until midway through the second half when Saint Francis regained its footing to turn the contest into a back-and-forth affair.
Saint Francis shot 41.3 percent (26-for-63) from the floor and 34.6 percent (9-for-26) from long range but hit on only 5 of 19 3-point attempts in the first half. It also struggled from the line, converting on 9 of 20 attempts (45.0 percent).
The Redhawks shot 43.6 percent (24-of-55) from the floor, while racking up a 48-to-37 advantage on the boards.
Alli Williams (Altoona, Pa./Bishop Guilfoyle) led the Red Flash with 25 points and 11 rebounds to claim her sixth double-double of the season.
Rhonda Watts (Alabaster, Ala./Thompson) came off the bench to toss in 14.
Nickia Gibbs (Greenbelt, Md./Eleanor Roosevelt) and
Sarah Thorn (Yardley, Pa./Pennsbury East) each dished out six assists.
Rhea led Seattle's four double-digit scorers with 21 points. Kacie Sowell scored 17, while grabbing a game-high 16 rebounds.
Saint Francis returns to action on Friday when it takes on Saint Louis in the consolation round of the Delta Dental Holiday Hoops Tournament. Tipoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. PST, 4 p.m. EDT.
