DELHI, N.Y. (February 17, 2020) – The six graduating members of the SUNY Delhi women's basketball team ended their Broncos careers with a bang Monday night, beating visiting Norwich, 69-50, in their season finale. Seniors Sam Acuna, Diana Echols, Katelyn Lewis, Samiaya Salley, team manager Antonia Buon, and graduating sophomore Brenna Gioffe were all recognized prior to the evening's contest, as each player contributed points in the win. Head coach Lauren McRoberts' team concludes her first season at Delhi with a 7-17 record, going 6-6 during an impressive second half to the season.
All of Salley's field goals came on 3-pointers, finishing 6-of-9 from behind the arc and her two free throws giving her a game-best 20 points with six rebounds and six assists. Lewis delivered 11 points, making two 3-pointers, with a team-high nine boards, while Acuna drilled a pair of threes on her way to ten markers. Echols dropped in two points with four blocks and four rebounds, as Gioffe connected on a triple for five points with three boards. Junior Kiera Holland used many fast-break opportunities to cash in for 14 points, five rebounds, and five assists. Justine Lubbers added four points, while Carissa Crandall buried one 3-pointer for three points.
The pregame festivities ignited the Broncos to a hot first quarter, led by Lewis scoring their first eight points of the game on two 3-pointers and one jumper. Delhi led, 18-8, after one quarter, then carried it over to a 33-21 halftime advantage. Perhaps the ladies' only concern of the evening was watching their 49-33 third-quarter lead drop after a 10-2 Cadets run to start the fourth saw them only ahead 51-41. But Salley took matters in her own hands to knock off any comeback hopes, draining four straight 3-pointers to double the Broncos' lead to 63-43. Gioffe even got in on Delhi's 3-point action with the team's final points of the night by making her first and only career 3-pointer with the Broncos in the final 30 seconds.
The Broncos finished the night shooting 40.6 pertcent (26-for-64), making 13-of-32 threes, while Norwich posted 27.6 percent (21-for-76) and 5-of-23, respectively. The Cadets held a 58-37 lead in rebounds. Delhi converted 17 Norwich turnovers into an 18-12 lead in points off turnovers, and led by as much as 21 points by game's end.
Salley finished her extraordinary career as a Bronco with 1,898 points and 199 career 3-pointers. She was the second player in school history to reach 1,000 points as a sophomore, and is SUNY Delhi's all-time career leading scorer. Echols finished her career with 841 rebounds and 545 points, while administering 82 blocks and 69 steals. Acuna completed her totals with 657 points, 136 assists, and 63 steals. Lewis garnered 276 points, 388 rebounds, and 58 steals over the course of her career. Gioffe's two-year career totals include 72 points and 104 rebounds.
The 2020-21 season brings lots of new opportunities for the SUNY Delhi women's basketball team, including their new home in the North Atlantic Conference (NAC). The Broncos sized up their new competition by playing seven current or eventual NAC members this season, winning three of them. Coach McRoberts' squad won just one game in the first half of the year, staring at a 1-11 mark entering New Year's Day. The women opened 2020 with two straight wins over SUNY Canton and Northern Vermont Johnson, then pulled out a win over Elmira and a season sweep of Valley Forge, including an incredible last-ditch comeback in the latter meeting on Saturday for a road overtime win over the Patriots.
