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ROCHESTER, N.Y. – Third-seeded Nazareth was successful in its first-round game Tuesday at the JPMorgan Chase Scholarship Tournament for women's basketball as the Golden Flyers led by as many as 26 points before settling for a 62-53 victory over sixth-seeded Geneseo.

 

Nazareth improved to 7-4 overall and will play again Thursday in the semifinals against St. John Fisher (8-3) at RIT at 8:15 p.m. Fisher defeated RIT, 58-45, in another first-round match-up played at Nazareth.  Thursday's other semifinal at RIT will feature top-seeded and unbeaten Rochester (12-0) against fifth-seeded Brockport (6-4) at 6:15 p.m.

 

Against Geneseo at Nazareth's Kidera Gymnasium, the Golden Flyers shot well from three-point range, hitting 10 of 25 long-distance shots (40 percent) with freshman Katie Kollar and sophomore Mary Holland each making three. Kollar went 4 for 5 from the field overall and finished with a team-high and career-best 11 points. Holland finished with nine points to spearhead the balanced offensive attack as 10 different players had at least one field goal.

 

Nazareth led by as many as 11 points in the first half, 27-16, following three-pointers by Holland and Kollar before settling for a 27-19 lead at the break. The Golden Flyers used 13 players in the first half with eight scoring at least one basket. Kollar hit two three-pointers for a team-best six points.

 

Nazareth's lead continued to grow in the second half as the Golden Flyers hit on five more three-pointers in eight tries. The lead reached 20 points, 44-24, on baskets Brittany Tallchief and Kollar and to 52-26 on another three-pointer by Kollar with 12:16 left.

Five others scored at least six points for Nazareth -- Kelly Dunne, Rachel Pirozzolo, Brittany Wilson, Ashley Gallagher and Sally Wilcox.

Geneseo's Amanda Bihr led all scorers with 13 points. Tracy Wangelin added 12.