FIGHTING TIGER WOMEN SHOOT DOWN RED BARONS 64-61 TO CLOSE SEMESTER

“It’s De ja vu all over again,” Yogi Berra

On Thursday night SUNY Cobleskill senior NJCAA All-American forward Dee Dee Smith, Monticello, NY, Redemption Christian Academy, took over the action during the second half to lead the Fighting Tigers to a victory over nationally ranked Fulton-Montgomery Community College punctuated by a stick-back basket off a missed free throw to give the Fighting Tigers a three point lead at 44-41 which eventually was the winning score. On Saturday afternoon Smith did it again versus the visiting Red Barons of Corning Community College scoring 16 of her game high 24 points and grabbing eight of her 12 rebounds in the second half highlighted by a stick-back basket of a missed free throw with 3.6 seconds to play which gave Cobleskill its 64-61 margin of victory. With the win the Fighting Tigers close the 2005 portion of their schedule with a program best 12-1 first semester record. Cobleskill finishes the semester ranked second in the NJCAA Region III Coach’s Poll.

“It was good to beat a quality team like Corning without playing our best basketball and considering it was the last game of the semester and we were coming off an emotional win over Fulton-Montgomery I thought we played pretty well,” said Fighting Tiger Head Coach Josh Suttles. “I also thought in the second half that Dee Dee played real well on a day when we appeared tired and on a day when our defense just wasn’t there she was the difference. Our goal at the semester was to be 12-1 and we’re there. Now it’s time to enjoy the break and get ready for the second semester.”

The Fighting Tigers also received an impressive effort from senior center Crystal Ferrer, Bronx, NY, Redemption Christian Academy, with 10 points and 20 rebounds and from senior point guard Tanisha McClinton, Poughkeepsie, NY, Poughkeepsie High School, with 15 points, three assists and three rebounds. Freshman guard Erinn O’Rourke, South Glens Falls, NY, South Glens Falls High School, helped the Cobleskill cause with seven points, three assists and two blocked shots for the Fighting Tigers while freshman forward Kim McMillen, Greenville, NY, Greenville High School, chipped in six points to go with seven rebounds off the bench.

The Fighting Tigers were scheduled to host Columbia-Greene Community College for a Mountain Valley Conference game on Saturday January 14th beginning at 1:00 PM. However the Twins have dropped their women’s program for the season and a subsequently scheduled game versus Albany College of Pharmacy was cancelled by the Albany. Cobleskill is actively looking to fill the home date but if not; the team will open the second semester against conference foe Mohawk Valley Community College in Utica, NY, beginning at 7:00 PM on Monday January 16th.