Wesley Falls in ECAC Championship Game
PURCHASE, N.Y. - Wesley College's Colleen Thomas (Howell, N.J./Howell) broke the Wolverines' single season record for made threes, but Wesley was bested by Juniata in the ECAC South Championship game, 72-52.
With four threes in the contest, Thomas ends the season with 93, one better than Kim Smith's old record set in 2000-01. The milestone came just one game after the junior scored her 1,000th career point.
Angie Owens (Seaford, Del./Seaford) hit 9-of-12 field goals in the game and led Wesley (17-13) with 19 points.
The game was a match up of Cinderellas as the two low seeds in the ECAC South Tournament had each pulled off a pair of upsets on their way to the title game at Manhattanville.
Juniata (18-11) scored the game's first seven points and would lead by as many as 18 with 2:16 to go in the opening period before settling for a 40-26 halftime lead.
Wesley pulled as close as 12 on several occasions, including a Michele Mules (York, Pa./Susquehannock) three that made it 58-46 with 9:25 remaining in the game. The Golden Eagles, however, turned up the defense and held the Wolverines without a field goal for over seven minutes during a 14-6 run to close the game.
Ashton Bankos scored a game-high 22 points to lead Juniata to the first postseason championship of any kind in women's basketball. Claudia McDowell netted 13, while Jen Hnatuck posted a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds.
Cory Boyd (Point Pleasant, N.J./Point Pleasant) dished out nine assists to become the first player in school history with over 200 in a season. Her 207 are 59 more than the previous season record.
With four rebounds in the game, Owens ran her school record for rebounds in a season to 332.
Wesley closes the 2008-09 season with 17 wins, the fifth most since the school ascended to Division III status in 1986-87. It also marks the second straight year the Wolverines have posted a five win improvement under Head Coach James Wearden.
