Women's basketball wins tightly contested match
WORCESTER, Mass. — For the second game in a row, junior Sabrina Drammis (Hilton Head Island, S.C.) hit key free throws late in regulation as she helped the MIT women’s basketball team defeat NEWMAC foe Clark University, 47-44, on Saturday. Drammis drained both of her shots at the charity stripe with 1:12 to go and then added another with six seconds left to finish with 13 points along with nine rebounds and two blocks for the Engineers (9-12, 5-7 NEWMAC).
MIT jumped out to an 8-2 lead in the first 3:34 but Clark stayed close as it narrowed the gap to 15-14 midway through the half. The Engineers responded with a 9-2 spurt to regain control of the game as they entered halftime with a 28-22 advantage.
The Cardinal and Gray opened the second stanza with eight straight points but the Cougars followed with six of their own, moving the score to 36-28 at the 10:29 mark. A layup and two free throws by Drammis quickly reestablished MIT’s double-digit lead; however, Clark rattled off 11 unanswered points, including three consecutive three-pointers to come within one (40-39) with 4:37 on the clock.
A layup by sophomore Liana Ilutzi (East Hanover, N.J.) on the Engineers’ next trip down the court gave them some breathing room. After an exchange of possessions, the Cougars inched closer with a free throw. Junior Maya Ramachandran (Fremont, Calif.) doubled the visitors’ cushion with a layup but Clark recorded a basket and two free throws to tie the game at 44 with 1:39 left to play.
A foul exactly 27 seconds later put Drammis at the charity stripe where she converted both attempts. The Cougars failed to connect on a three-point attempt moments later with the resulting rebound making its way to Ilutzi. An MIT turnover with 31 seconds to go led to a layup that was off the mark and was grabbed by Drammis with 10 ticks left. A quick foul saw Drammis head back to the line where she hit the first of her two shots. Although Clark collected the loose ball, it was unable to get a shot off during the final six seconds.
Ramachandran recorded her sixth double-double of the season on 13 points and 11 rebounds while adding three blocks. Ilutzi tallied seven points, five boards, five assists, and two steals as senior Osheiza Otori (Metairie, La.) posted six points and four rebounds. Senior Mari Kordell (Ijamsville, Md.) rounded out the squad with four assists and four steals.