The Geneseo women's basketball team secured a SUNYAC playoff spot by defeating Fredonia in overtime Friday night, regardless of falling to Brockport Saturday in their final regular season game.
The Lady Knights were led by senior forward Tracy Wangelin, who had a game-high 23 points, shooting 75 percent from the field. Senior Jamie Scordino added a double-double with 10 points and 14 rebounds.
Geneseo head coach Scott Hemer said that the team "put themselves in a chance to win it at the end," where Geneseo came through thanks to superb free-throw shooting.
Hemer added that "most games come down to who can make their free throws," and Geneseo did just that on Friday night. Scordino made two game-saving free throws to tie the match with just over a minute left in regulation and the Knights went 4-4 from the line in overtime to secure the win.
Although the Lady Knights clinched a playoff spot in the win on Friday, Hemer said he believes the team had some room for improvement. He said that the team was at times "defensively passive and offensively lethargic," but that the win was big for the team as they were able to lock up the eighth seed in the SUNYAC playoffs.
Hemer said that in the playoffs - where the Knights were pitted against Cortland, the No. 1 seed - they will have to be "more intense and faster defensively to control the boards" and that Cortland is "too good to give them second chances."
Saturday, the Lady Knights lost to Brockport 59-41. The game did not mean much in the standings for either team, since Brockport could not move up or down from their No. 4 seed and Geneseo was locked in as the eighth seed. Scordino and senior Bridget Riley tied for the team lead in points with 10 apiece.
Hemer said the team was "tired from the long overtime game the night before" and they "battled tough and stayed close most of the first half." Most of Geneseo's top players played over 40 minutes the night before at Fredonia. Hemer also said that the team "missed too many layups and had no outside perimeter game, which is a sign of fatigue." He added that making the outside shots would have been key against Cortland.
Geneseo's Lady Knights finished the regular season with a record of 5-11 in conference play and 8-17 overall.
[Editor's note: Geneseo traveled to Cortland Tuesday evening in the first round of the SUNYAC playoffs. The Lady Knights lost 72-41, ending their season with an overall record of 8-18.]