Amherst, Mass.--Junior guard Maci Dorantes (Bristol, Conn.) scored a team-high 11 points as Rhode Island College saw its season come to an end with a 55-52 loss vs. St. John Fisher in the first round of the 2022 NCAA Women's Basketball Championship hosted by Amherst on Friday night.
THE BASICS
St. John Fisher 55, Rhode Island College 52
St. John Fisher (26-2)
Rhode Island College (23-6)
HOW IT HAPPENED
• It took RIC over half of the first period to score, when freshman guard
Madison Medbury (Scituate, R.I.) knocked down a pair of free throws, to make the game, 4-2, in St. John Fisher's favor. SJFC senior guard
Amy Gardner (Dryden, N.Y.) made a three-pointer at the end of the quarter to give the Cardinals a 14-4 lead.
• The Cardinals would lead by as much as 18 with a 24-6 lead with 7:15 left in the second quarter. RIC went on a 16-2 scoring run to cut its deficit down to just three points, 26-23, with 2:42 left to go in the half. The Cardinals led by three, 30-27, at the half.
• RIC and SJFC stayed deadlocked throughout the third quarter, with the Cardinals clinging to a two-point, 44-42, lead.
• With 15 seconds left in the game, and St. John Fisher holding a three-point lead, a three-point attempt by senior guard
Maire Gallagher (Worcester, Mass.) rimmed out and the Cardinals held on to advance to the second round.
• Dorantes also had five rebounds.
• Junior guard
Jeniyah Jones (Randolph, Mass.) had 10 points, six rebounds, four steals and three assists in the loss.
• Cardinals' sophomore guard
Claire Kruszka (Lake View, N.Y.) and freshman guard
Sidney Tomasso (Waverly, N.Y.) each scored a game-high 13 points. Tomasso added seven rebounds, while Kruszka registered a double-double with her 13 points and 11 rebounds.
