WORCESTER, MA (December 30, 2021) -- The Susquehanna University women's basketball team rallied from a 15-point second-half deficit to score its first win over a ranked opponent since before 2010 with a 72-67 victory over No. 22 Bates College in the first day of action from the WPI Winter Classic. 

Prior to Thursday afternoon's victory over the Bobcats, Susquehanna had lost its previous 16 contests against ranked opponents going dating back to the 2009-10 season. The difference in the game was the bench scoring from the River Hawks (8-2), as Susquehanna owned a 25-5 edge in that department thanks to double-figures from seniors Sadie Comfort and Amalia Esposito. 

The River Hawks trailed 50-35 early in the second half following a three-pointer by Alyson Kennedy from Bates College (7-3), but Susquehanna finished the third quarter on a 14-2 run capped by a Comfort lay-up with 10 seconds to go to make it 52-49 Bates heading to the fourth. 

Susquehanna tied the game for the first time since 6-6 at 54-all, as Comfort drilled a three-pointer with help from Esposito with just under nine minutes to play in regulation. SU continued its run with back-to-back buckets by Esposito and junior Isabella Schwabe to take it's largest lead of the game of four at 58-54 with 7:22 to play. 

After a Mia Roy triple for the Bobcats made it a one-point contest, Susquehanna responded with two more lay-ups to take 62-57 lead. The SU lead grew up to as much as six with just under three minutes to play on a three-pointer from Brandt from the top of the key off of a nice dish from senior Amanda Lemire. 

Bates once again pulled to within one score but both teams defenses locked down over the last two minutes, and a Brandt block with 19 seconds to play on a potential game-tying lay-up from Meghan Graff helped seal the victory. Esposito connected on two ensuring free throws to make it a two-score game, as the River Hawks fended off the Bobcats for the win. 

It was the second all-time meeting with Bates and only the second meeting with a New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) team, as SU also topped the Bobcats back in 1987-88. Thursday afternoon's game featured nine lead changes. 

Brandt led the way for the River Hawks with a team-high 16 points, adding seven rebounds, three assists and three blocks. Esposito also added 12 points on 5-of-6 shooting from the floor, grabbing a team-high eight rebounds to go with four assists as well. Graduate student Erin McQuillen scored eight of her 11 points in the first half, and is now eight points shy of 1,000 for her career. 

Lemire chalked up 11 points as well for SU, and Comfort tallied 10 points on 4-of-7 shooting. The River Hawks shot 48.3 percent (28-54) from the floor for the contest, hitting 5-of-13 from downtown and 11-of-14 from the free throw line. The key to the comeback was the defensive effort in the third quarter, as SU held Bates to 2-of-20 shooting in the third. 

Despite the poor shooting third the Bobcats still shot 29-of-67 (43.3 percent) on the game, including hitting eight of their 17 field goals from deep. Graff tallied a game-high 22 points, 16 coming in the first half, and Kennedy tallied 16 points. 

Up Next

• Susquehanna will take on host Worcester Polytechnic Institute (8-1) Friday afternoon at 1 p.m. in the WPI Winter Classic finale. A reminder that spectators are not permitted at Harrington Auditorium for WPI Athletic events. 

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