Astre scores team-high 19 points, Thunderwolves return to win column Saturday at Lorain County
Behind seven players in double-figure scoring and a staggering 70 points in the paint, SUNY Niagara returned to the win column with a 100-45 victory over Lorain County CC Saturday in Ohio. A lay-up from Anna Astre broke a 6-6 tie at the 5-minute, 9-second mark of the first quarter and sparked a 38-13 run over the final 14:51 of the first half for a 44-19 halftime lead.
Astre finished with a team-high 19 points on 9-of-18 shooting along with seven rebounds and two steals in only 13 minutes off the bench. Azriel Hall finished with 16 points, eight rebounds and four steals.
Shania Beylo had a season-high 14 points, four assists and three steals. Atarah Walker contributed 13 points, eight rebounds and two assists. Alana Rivers added 11 points, six rebounds and two steals and Ava Bull had 11 points, a team-high nine rebounds, two assists and two steals.
Isabella Karabetsos scored 10 points, had a team-high seven assists and chipped in three steals.
SUNY Niagara shot 41-of-96 (42.7%) from the field, 2-of-17 (11.8%) from the 3-point line, and went 16-of 24 (66.7%) from the free-throw line. The Thunderwolves also had 29 second-chance points and 48 points off the bench.
NOTES:
With the team-high 19 points, Astre hit double-figure scoring for the seventh time this season and the fifth time in her last six appearances. Astre is averaging 10.6 points per game and shooting 42.8% from the field in 18.3 minutes a game.
Beylo scored a season-high 14 points and eclipsed her previous high of 13, which she reached against both WVU Potomac State on Nov. 7 and Corning CC on Dec. 3. Beylo is averaging 7.1 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.9 assists per contest this season.
With the seven assists, Karabetsos recorded her eighth game of the season with at least five in a contest and the 28th time of her career. Karabetsos is currently fifth in total assists among all NJCAA Division II players with 76, trailing only Rock Valley College's Deniya Gary (85), Pima CC's Melicia Nelson (82), Delta College's Damaya Hartwick (80) and Palm Beach State College's Janiah Suprius (79). The 10 points against Lorain County marked her sixth game in double-digit scoring this season and the 22nd time in her Thunderwolves career. In 46 career games, Karabetsos has 472 points (10.3 per contest) and 267 career assists (5.8 per contest).
Bull was one rebound shy of recording her fourth double-double of the season and 10th in her career, but reached double-figure scoring for the fifth time in her sophomore campaign (16th overall). In 46 games, Bull has scored 390 points (8.5 per game) and 369 rebounds (8.0). This season, Bull is averaging 8.9 points and 8.9 rebounds per game.
After only posting double-figure scoring once through SUNY Niagara's first six games, Walker has now done so in four of her last six outings after her 13 points against Lorain County. Walker has recorded 352 points (8.4 per game) and 371 rebounds (8.8 per game) and nine career double-doubles in 42 appearances.
With 16 points against the Commodores, Hall has finished in double-figure scoring in all 14 of SUNY Niagara's contests this season. Hall is averaging a team-high 18.4 points per contest and, following Saturday's contest, is ranked tied with Beaver County CC's Josie Russell for 25th among all NJCAA Division II players.
SUNY Niagara is now 4-1 this season when scoring at least 100 points in a game. The seven players reaching double-figures is the most in a game for the Thunderwolves since six did so in a 106-101 double overtime loss versus Beaver County CC on Nov. 22 (Hall 22, Walker 18, Karabetsos 16, Allison Milleville 14, Astre 13, Bull 11). The Thunderwolves are also 3-1 when at least five players score in a game.
The 70 points in the paint established SUNY Niagara's new season-high. The Thunderwolves had 64 points against Corning CC on Dec. 3 and 56 against both Beaver County CC and Villa Maria College during the Thunderwolves Thanksgiving Classic Nov. 22-23 in Sanborn.
The 48 points off the bench was the fourth time SUNY Niagara posted 40 in a game and the third most all season, behind its output against Lackawanna on Nov. 1 (68) and WVU Potomac State on Nov. 7 (49). The Thunderwolves also recorded 19 assists in the win and are now 7-2 when they post at least 15 in a game.
SUNY Niagara continues its season when it hosts Herkimer CC at 3 p.m. Jan. 6 in Sanborn.