DECEMBER 2, 2001
BOB ZIADIE
BIG SECOND-HALF BY VARRASSE LEADS KING'S TO WIN OVER JUNIATA
WILKES-BARRE -- Tiffini Varrasse scored 16 of her game-high 18 points and
tournament most valuable player Nikki Kingston added 15 to lead the King's
College women's basketball to a 69-58 victory over Juniata College in the
first King's College Hoop Challenge Sunday in Scandlon Gymnasium.
With the win, King's, ranked 12th nationally in Division III, improved to
6-0 on the year while Juniata fell to 1-4.
With King's leading 30-28 at the half, Varrasse ignited a 17-4 Lady
Monarch run with 13 points. After Brandy Preslovich tied the score
at 30-30 to start the second stanza, Varrasse and all-tournament selection
Fran Monte canned consecutive shots. Varrasse then hit a
three-pointer and added a pair of baskets off back-to-back steals to give
the Lady Monarchs a 39-30 lead. After Preslovich scored again, Varrasse
added a driving layup, then added two foul shots to extend the King's lead
to 47-32 with 13:19 left in the contest.
Juniata would eventually claw back and cut the margin to five on a basket
by Kelly Steinbeiser, but Varrasse scored on another layup and Kingston
drained a jumper to extend the lead back to 60-50 with 3:54 left.
Junita would cut the lead to seven on a Kelli Young basket
with 2:20 left but Jen Wozniak hit three-of-four foul shots, Kingston
added a pair of charity tosses, while Varrasse made one of two free throws
down the stretch to seal the victory.
Monte added 13 points and a game-high 11 rebounds to aid the King's cause
while Wozniak chipped in with 10 points.
Preslovich had 16 points and four rebounds for the Eagles while Jen
LaCount and Steinbeiser chipped in with 10 points each.
Along with Kingston, Varrasse, and Monte, the remainder of the
all-tournament team included Delaware Valley duo of Amber Smolinsky and
Kristin Henry, along with Preslovich.
On Sunday, Delaware Valley defeated Albright 71-50 to also finish 2-0 at
the Middle Atlantic Conference cross-over event.
On Saturday, King's defeated Albright 79-42 while Delaware Valley bested
Juniata 73-63.
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SCORE
