Owls Steal Victory Over Lady Knights to Spoil Senior Day
February 9, 2013

Owls Steal Victory Over Lady Knights to Spoil Senior Day

Baker Scores 17, grabs 10 rebounds

Box Score Box Score Box Score Box Score

Randolph Center, VT - The Owls of the University of Maine Presque Isle spoiled Senior Day for the Lady Knights as they came into Randolph and stole a close game 56-53.

Senior Day began with a short presentation honoring those student-athletes whose selfless dedication has helped to elevate the Lady Knights' program to what it is today. In the past, the women's basketball team of Vermont Tech has not been one looked at with fear or even one of the more competitive programs in the YSCC. Now, with what has been a work in progress over the past two years with the help of the graduating seniors, the Lady Knights are a 10-win team, hovering around the .500 mark overall and in the YSCC, and is the #2 seed in the Western Division of the YSCC behind perennial power NHTI.  

The seniors included team leading scorer, captain and four-year player Kelly Vellek (Burlington, VT), 3-year player Rebekka Dimick (Windsor, VT) and, completing an Associates in Business, second year player Brianna Bergeron (Hartford, VT). The three seniors started the game, and played together for the first five minutes.

The second half was when action really started to heat up, as the game was tight and the tension high. With 5:34 to go in the game, Senior Vellek converted on two free throws, two of her total 16 points, to bring the game to within 1 for the Knights, 48-47. Vellek filled the stat sheet, in addition to her points she grabbed 4 rebounds, dished 3 assists and had 3 steals. Emily Pelletier hit two free throws of her own for UMPI just moments later, but then Paige Wells (So./Orleans, VT) and Ama Baker (Fitchburg, MA) scored in quick succession to make the lead 1 to the good for the Lady Knights.

After the Baker jumper, Doni Yendriga of the Owls hit a short one to put the visitors back up by 1, 52-51. The Knights then missed on two shots, followed by Darby Toth coming down, making a basket and extending the Owl lead to 54-51. Alyssa Cassanelli (So./Barkhamsted, CT) contributed one of her two buckets of the day shortly thereafter to bring the game back to within 1.

With the score 54-53 and just :50 left, the Knights played solid defense but there was a foul called at the :33 mark. After a timeout, the Knights had to foul to get UMPI into the one-and-one situation. They did so, and Toth hit both her free throws to make the lead three. Coming back down the court quickly, Baker missed a shot to tie as time expired.

Wells again had a double-double for VTC, 13 points and 10 rebounds. Baker had a game-high 17 points, and finished off a double-double of her own with 10 rebounds.

For UMPI, Pelletier ended with a team-high 16 points and Toth finished with 11. Yendriga finished with 12 rebounds.

Perhaps the difference in the game were the second chance points. Although only out-rebounding the Knights by one and actually losing the offensive rebounding battle by 5, UMPI still led in the category of second chance points 15-5.

With the loss the Lady Knights fall to 10-14, 6-5 YSCC. The game originally scheduled for Sunday at home versus Central Maine has been canceled, so their next contest will take place at NHTI in Concord, NH. The game is set for Tuesday, February 12th with the tip at 530pm, immediately followed by the men. The Lynx and Knights are the #1 and #2 seed in the Western Division of the YSCC, and the Lynx are the #8 team in the nation according to the latest USCAA Poll.