SALISBURY, MD – The nationally ranked Salisbury University women's basketball team needed a late burst to outlast the York College Spartans 91-81 in Capital Athletic Conference action on Saturday afternoon at the Maggs Center in Salisbury, MD.

The Sea Gulls remain as the lone unbeaten in the CAC as they improve to 6-0 in the league and 12-1 overall. The defending CAC champion Spartans fall to 4-9 overall and are still in search of their first league win, as they are now 0-6 on conference play.

The Spartans played one of the best halves of the year in the opening 20 minutes as they took the play to the Gulls. York led 11-4 just 3:42 into the game. The Spartans continued to lead until Sarah Seipp tied the game with 6:39 remaining in the half. That started a back-and-forth final six minutes of the opening stanza. That bucket was a part of an 11-4 Salisbury run that gave the Gulls a 35-32 lead with 4:14 left in the half. York answered right back with a 10-2 run of their own to take a 42-38 advantage with 1:28 remaining. Freshman Katie Wagner (Glen Rock, Pa./Susquehannock) drilled a triple with 46 seconds left but a Kathy Albornoz bucket followed by a Spartan foul and Seipp free throw cut the Spartan lead to a pair at 45-43 at the break.

The Spartans' 45 first half points were their second highest total since the season-opening 61 point performance to open the season against Cazenovia. York shot a blistering 51.6% from the floor while they were also 4-of-9 from three and 9-for-11 from the line.

The second half continued to be back and forth as there were five lead changes and four ties during the opening six minutes of the half as the final tie came at 58. The Spartans kept their deficit under five over the next nine minutes as the Green and White kept within striking distance of the best team in the Capital Athletic Conference.

The Gulls hit the Spartans with a crippling 13-2 run turning a four-point deficit into a 13 point hole with just over a minute left in the half. The run was highlighted by the Sea Gulls taking advantage of missed Spartan shots and a few bad possessions, which allowed Salisbury to put the game away. The Spartans would not get closer than ten the rest of the way.

Senior All-CAC guard Anna Hackett was outstanding as she poured in 27 points with eight assists in her 37 minutes of action. Hackett was a white hot 11-for-15 from the floor and a perfect 4-for-4 from the line. Seipp added 21 points, two rebounds, and three steals. Julia McLaughlin and Albornoz each added 12 points to the Salisbury attack. Albornoz pulled a team-high eight rebounds while McLaughlin added six caroms for the Gulls.

Salisbury did a fantastic job of taking care of the ball as they committed just six turnovers in the win.

Senior Shea Wassel (North Wales, Pa./Lansdale Catholic) recorded her sixth double-double of the year as she notched a career-high 22 points to go along with 10 points. Wassel also had three assists in her 32 minutes of work. Wassel was 9-for-12 from the floor and 4-for-4 from the line. Morgan Golec (Abington, Md./Patterson Mill) contributed 12 points, three rebounds and an assist in her 23 minutes of action. Golec was 4-for-10 from the floor and 3-for-7 from three and 1-for-1 from the line.

Sophomore Sam Hruz (White Marsh, Md./Mercy) added 11 points, a career-high tying seven assists with two rebounds and a blocked shot for York.

The Spartans couldn't keep their hot first half shooting going as the Green and White converted 40.6% from the floor in the second half including 3-for-10 from three.

York finished the game shooting 46% from the floor and 36.8% from three. The Spartans were very good from the charity stripe for the second consecutive game as they made 16-of-19 from the line. York is 34-for-40 in their last two games.

The 46% shooting percentage for the Spartans was their second best mark of the year while the 36.8% from three was also their second best mark of the year.

Salisbury finished the game shooting 55.6% from the field including 65.5% in the second half when they outscored York 48-36.

Both teams finished the game with 33 rebounds while the Sea Gulls held a slight 13-12 margin in second chance points.

The Spartans return to action on Wednesday night when they head to Frostburg State University to face the Bobcats in another CAC contest. Tip time from Bobcat Arena is set for 6:00 pm.

Shea Wassel photo courtesy of David Sinclair