Blue Basketball Tripped Up on Final Day of Skidmore Invitational

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. -- Senior Chelsi Scott (Portland, Mich.) recorded her second-straight double-double to open the season but Wellesley College basketball dropped a 53-50 non-conference decision to Skidmore College on day two of the Skidmore Invitational. The host Thoroughbreds snagged the team's first win of the season to improve to 1-1, while Wellesley dropped to 0-2.

Scott scored 15 points and collected 13 rebounds to lead the Blue, earning All-Tournament Team honors thanks to her back-to-back double-double performances. Sophomore Kayla Jang (South Pasadena, Calif.) added 10 points, four rebounds, three steals and a pair of assists, while first year Brenna Butler (Smithtown, N.Y.) came off the bench to add 10 points for the second time in as many games this season. 

Skidmore's bench made all the difference in the contest, as the reserves outscored the starters 48-5. Sophomore Kelly Donnelly (Wynantskill, N.Y.) notched a game-high 18 points for the Thoroughbreds, finishing one rebound shy of a double-double with a team-best nine boards. Amber Holgate (Easton, Mass.) and Veronica Moceri (Hudson, N.H.) each added 12 points, with Holgate also collecting six rebounds. Both Donnelly and Holgate earned All-Tournament honors for the hosts.

A back-and-forth first quarter yielded a one-point Wellesley lead, 8-7, at the end of the frame. In the second quarter, the sides played to a 10-10 tie with 9:05 remaining. Skidmore then used a Moceri three-pointer and a pair of free throws from Donnelly to take a 15-10 lead at 6:25. Butler cut the deficit back to three, 15-12, on the next Wellesley possession. Junior Ailis Hanley (Cranston, R.I.) then made it a one-point game, 16-15, with a triple at 5:13, following a free throw from Moceri.

Donnelly added back-to-back layups following Hanley's strike, spurring an 11-4 Skidmore run to close out the quarter. Donnelly scored eight of her game-high 18 points in the final 4:15 of the second to send the Thoroughbreds into the break with a 26-19 lead. 

Skidmore's advantage jumped to eight in the opening minute of the third quarter, 27-19, as Donnelly converted another free throw. Jang cut into the deficit with a three-pointer at 8:35, before Skidmore countered with two more free throws to stretch their edge back to seven, at 29-22. 

Wellesley used a 6-0 run, capped by a layup from Scott, to get back to within one, at 29-28. Holgate countered with a three before Hanley made a layup and Scott hit two free throws to tie the score at 32-all. A pair of Moceri triples on either side of a Scott layup set Skidmore ahead, 38-24, before Scott knocked down two more free throws to make the count 38-36 at 1:20 of the third. Skidmore closed out the quarter with four points, including a jumper from Donnelly, to lead by a 41-36 margin heading into the fourth. 

Wellesley rallied to take the lead in the fourth quarter, as a free throw from Butler gave the Blue a 46-45 edge with 3:26 left in regulation. Back-to-back buckets from the Thoroughbreds set the Blue back, 49-46, before Jang made good on a pair of free throws to draw Wellesley back to within one, at 49-48, with just under a minute to play. Skidmore then closed out the game with two baskets in the final 40 seconds, as Donnelly and Butler exchanged baskets before Holgate sealed the 53-50 final with a layup with nine seconds to play. 

Wellesley will open their home schedule on Wednesday, October 18, with a 7:00 PM contest versus Simmons. Skidmore will host Hartwick at 6:00 PM on Tuesday, November 17.

39TH SKIDMORE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL INVITATIONAL ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM 

Kelly Donnelly – Skidmore
Sydney Pinn – New Paltz
Chelsi Scott, Wellesley
Morgan Cahill – St. Joseph's
Amber Holgate – Skidmore 

Most Outstanding Player
Kit Small – New Paltz