'Cliffe Cagers Top Emmanuel, Finish Season With 62-51 Win

The Radcliffe Basketball team rallied twice against a tough Emmanuel team to finish off its season with a 62-51 victory at the loser's home court last night.

The triumph caps a four-game winning streak, and gives the 'Cliffe a 9-6 record on the season.

Emmanuel got off to a fast start in the first half, out-scoring the Crimson 23-13 in the first 12 minutes. But then the game turned around.

Blow-Up

"The court exploded--we just took it away," explained co-captain Susan Williams yesterday.

The 'Cliffe cagers ran off 10 points in eight minutes, and at the half the Emmanuel lead had been pared to two points, 25-23.

Crimson momentum carried into the second half. Capitalizing on powerful defensive performances by Hildy Meyers and Williams, the 'Cliffe charged to a 38-33 lead.

"We played incredibly tough defense," Williams said. "And that's the name of the game."

No Concession Yet

Still Emmanuel had yet to concede defeat. They played an aggressive full court zone defense, and with eight minutes to play, the Crimson cagers led only by a single point, 40-39. Three minutes later, Radcliffe had fallen behind, 47-46.

With five minutes left, Cheryl Gelzer took command for the Crimson hoopsters. Shooting for 9 of game-high 12 points in the final minutes, Gelzer gave the lead back to the 'Cliffe.

Wrap-Up

Hitting on four consecutive free throws, teammate Denise Thal wrapped up the victory for the cagers.

After the game, Williams speculated on the possibilities for the coming year. Two strong players, Cheryl Gelzer and Lissa Muscante, are graduating.

"But these last few games have been indicative of the tremendous power and potential of this team," Williams said.