FIGHTING TIGER WOMEN DEFEAT ONONDAGA CC LAZERS 53-40

It has been said that good things come in small packages and with the holiday’s looming the SUNY Cobleskill women’s basketball team defeated the visiting Lazers of Onondaga Community College by a 53-40 margin behind a career high 23 points from diminutive senior reserve point guard Meghan Smida, Cobleskill, NY, Cobleskill-Richmondville High School. The victory closes out the 2006 portion of the Fighting Tigers’ schedule with a 10-3 overall record.

Listed at an official height of 5’0”, no player on the floor stood taller than Smida in the contest as the Cobleskill veteran reserve tallied 13 points off the bench in the first half then notched another 10 in the second half to go with four rebounds and an assist as Cobleskill handed Region III’s number two ranked women’s program only their second loss on the season. On the afternoon Smida connected on eight of nine shots from the field including a perfect three-for-three from three-point range.

The Fighting Tigers also received solid play from senior guard/forward Kim Stahl, Scotia, NY, Scotia-Glenville High School, who scored seven points and grabbed nine rebounds and from senior power forward Kim McMillen, Greenville, NY, Greenville High School, who scored six points to go with 10 rebounds and five steals. Also contributing to the win were senior guard Erinn O’Rourke, South Glens Falls, NY, South Glens Falls High School, who scored five points, passed out six assists, grabbed four rebounds and made four steals and from freshman center April Ackerman, South Huntington, NY, Sullivan West High School, who scored four points and had six rebounds on the afternoon. Senior forward Andrea Piedigrossi, Cortland, NY, Cortland High School, also chipped in four points to go with in the victory.

“Make no bones about it this was a big game for us. This being the last game of the semester before break, we wanted to create a national championship feel to the game and I thought we did a great job of answering the challenge,” said Fighting Tiger Head Coach Josh Suttles. “The key today was our ability to shut down their transition game. I thought we were hitting our stride after the Fulton-Montgomery game and then with nine days off until we played Onondaga, while they were in action the entire time, concerned me. Our players took a big step today this was a huge win for us.”

The Fighting Tigers will return to action after the break on Thursday January 18th when they meet the Timberwolves of Adirondack Community College for a Mountain Valley Conference contest beginning at 5:00 PM.

TIGER NOTES: The Fighting Tigers returned to the NJCAA Division III National Poll this week holding down the number eighteen spot in the national rankings. Cobleskill closes the semester riding a five-game winning streak.