BROOKLYN, N.Y. — The Pratt Institute women's basketball team staged a furious second-half rally but fell just short in a 59-55 loss to The City College of New York on Wednesday evening at the Activity Resource Center.
Despite the setback, Pratt (1-6) received historic performances on the glass from fifth-year guard Kylie Grant (Dallas, Texas) and sophomore forward Anabela Jakelic (Zagreb, Croatia). Both players pulled down 20 rebounds apiece, anchoring a dominant 63-42 rebounding advantage for the Cannoneers. Grant led all scorers with 20 points to complete a massive double-double, while Jakelic added 17 points and two blocks.
The game began as a back-and-forth affair, with Pratt trailing narrowly, 20-17, after the first quarter. However, the Cannoneers struggled offensively in the second period, managing just six points as CCNY (2-5) extended its advantage to 38-23 at the halftime break.
Pratt came out of the locker room with renewed energy sparked by three early triples from Grant and Lola Mactavish (Sydney, Australia) and they chipped away at the deficit throughout the second half. The Cannoneers' defense clamped down in the fourth quarter, holding the Beavers to just seven points. A layup by sophomore Kaylee Kang (Granada Hills, Calif.) with 5:09 remaining brought the gold-and-black within five at 54-49.
In the final minute, Grant hit a pair of free throws to pull Pratt within four, 59-55, with 40 seconds left on the clock. The Cannoneers had a chance to cut further into the lead but could not convert on their final possessions as time expired.
First-year forward Dahlia Dimitrov (Montreal, Canada) contributed an all-around effort with seven points, five rebounds, four assists, and two steals. Kang finished with four points and five boards off the bench. Pratt's 30 offensive rebounds led to 22 second-chance points, keeping them in the contest despite shooting 25.3 percent from the field.
CCNY was led by Blessings Joseph-Pascall, who tallied 17 points, 11 rebounds, and seven steals. Ashley Colon added 16 points, including three 3-pointers, and Joscelyn Ramos chipped in 12 points.
Pratt will look to bounce back after finals week when it hosts Keystone College on Saturday, Dec. 13, at 1 p.m. at the ARC.
