JAMAICA, N.Y. — In a close contest that saw six ties and 10 lead changes, the Pratt Institute women's basketball team suffered a 54-45 defeat on the road to York College on Tuesday evening.
Pratt was led by a pair of double-doubles from Kylie Grant and Niya Witherspoon. Grant netted 21 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for her 11th double-double of the season, also swiping three steals and dishing out two assists. Witherspoon scored 13 points on 3-of-6 shooting and 7-of-9 from the stripe, and also secured 10 caroms. Heather Song had a career-best eight points with five rebounds. Almudena Valenzuela handed out a career-high six assists to go along with three points, three steals and two rebounds.
A close first half saw seven lead changes and neither team ahead by more than five, with York creeping out to a 20-15 lead midway through the second quarter before Pratt used a 12-3 run – started by eight-in-a-row from Grant – to take a 27-26 lead into the halftime break.
A poor third quarter would doom the Cannoneers as Pratt could muster just four points and watched the Cardinals close on a 7-0 spurt to lead 38-31 headed into the final period. York pulled away to a double-digit lead in the fourth leading 52-37 with three minutes to play and Pratt playing until the final buzzer to trim the final deficit to single digits.
Alicia Gumbs led York (1-18) to their first victory of the season with 34 points and nine rebounds and Madison Plaza added 14 points and six rebounds
Pratt concludes their 2023-24 campaign on Saturday, February 24 traveling to Purchase College for a 4 p.m. matchup.
