Letkewicz Scores Career-High 29 in OT Win Over Yale

Friday, February 16

New Haven, Conn.

6:00 PM

Dartmouth College

13-9, 5-4Ivy

Yale

12-10, 5-4Ivy

OT 1

Dartmouth

Yale

Letkewicz Scores Career-High 29 in OT Win Over Yale

2/16/2018 7:55:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score Belle Koclanes Kate Letkewicz Andi Norman Cy Lippold Emily Slagle Isalys “Ice” Quiñones Box Score PDF ILN Highlights HTML Stats

By: Dartmouth

NEW HAVEN, Conn. – A period of overtime and 29 points from senior Kate Letkewicz was the recipe for success in the Dartmouth women's basketball team win over Yale on the road, 64-62. Letkewicz scored her 1,000th point on her first made free throw of the night, as she joins 16 other Dartmouth legends for the only members to reach the milestone.

The Big Green improve to 13-9 overall with a 5-4 Ivy League record, while the Bulldogs move to 12-10 with a 5-4 in conference play. Letkewicz led the way with her 29 points, while junior Isalys “Ice” Quiñones posted a double-double 19 points and 14 rebounds, as the two players who posted double digits for Dartmouth.

“Tonight was a really pivotal night for our program,” said The Gail Koziara Boudreaux '82 and Family Head Coach Belle Koclanes. “Major shout out to Kate Letkewicz and Ice Quiñones, their offense performance tonight pretty much carried the team until the fourth quarter.”

Dartmouth struggled scoring early but kept it close the entire first period, ending the opening 10 minutes trailing 12-10. The second quarter proved to be more of a challenge, as Yale scored 22 points while the road team only scored eight. At halftime down by 16, only Letkewicz and Quiñones had scored points for the Big Green, and it was obvious there would need to be more contributors to take the lead and win.

Entering the third period, the same two faces led Dartmouth in scoring, but junior Cy Lippold and senior Emily Slagle saw their first points of the night as well, ending the third quarter down 48-35.

The Big Green really pushed on the gas in the fourth, scoring 20 points in the last period and holding the Bulldogs to only seven. In the early minutes of the last quarter, Yale was ahead by 11 points. It was not until the 4:53 mark when a Letkewicz layup tied the game that the momentum started to change.

Dartmouth took a two-point lead with 2:16 to go, before a Tamara Simpson layup gave the Bulldogs the one-point advantage. Letkewicz responded with a three and 1:04 to go, before Yale, Megan Gorman scored the final two points in regulation to tie it up.

Quiñones got the ball rolling in overtime with a jumper to take the quick lead, before four and a half minutes of battle ensued. The Bulldogs led by one point with 30 seconds to go and as the Big Green had the last possession and the rest of the clock ahead of them, senior Andi Norman pulled up for a three and drained it with five seconds to go, Yale's downtown attempt was no good as Dartmouth pulled off the win.

“It's a step in the right direction for the team understanding what it takes to win and stay in the race,” Koclanes said. “We knew how important this game is and how important the remaining five games are. I have to give credit to Coach Guth, her staff and team, they are so physical and tough. It was a very competitive game tonight, one that I think both coaches can be proud of.”

The Big Green shot 40 percent from the floor, 40.9 from three and 50 percent from the free throw line. Dartmouth also had a season-high 51 rebounds, 44 of which were defensive.

The road trip continues for the Big Green tomorrow night, taking on Brown in Providence.