NAZARETH PULLS AWAY FOR CHASE WIN
Golden Flyers (8-2) to play Fisher in Thursday's semifinals
• BOXSCORE | UPDATED STATS

GENESEO, N.Y. (Jan. 11, 2005) – Senior center Sara Shipley (pictured) combined 27 points with 10 rebounds Tuesday as fourth-seeded Nazareth defeated fifth-seeded Geneseo, 64-53, in a first-round game of the 12th annual JPMorgan Chase Scholarship Tournament for women's basketball.

The victory boosted Nazareth's overall record to 8-2 and earned the Golden Flyers a semifinal date with St. John Fisher Thursday at RIT at 6:15 p.m. Fisher defeated Keuka, 77-67, in another first-round matchup Tuesday.

Against Geneseo, Nazareth struggled in the first half by committing 18 turnovers enabling the home team to take a 21-19 lead. The Golden Flyers took care of the basketball better in the second half, committing just five turnovers.

Nazareth trailed 48-46 with less than six minutes to play before embarking on an 18-5 scoring spree to close the game. Shipley's basket with 5:50 left tied the score at 48, then Jaimee McGivern and Sarah Homer followed with clutch three-point baskets -- Nazareth's only long-range baskets of the game -- to secure the lead for good.

Nazareth stayed ahead by making free throws down the stretch. McGivern made four and Cassie Denniston and Nicole Denniston made two each to complete the win.

Shipley, who scored 16 of her 27 points in the second half, made 10 of 13 shots from the field and 7 of 11 free throws. Homer added 13 points and McGivern scored 11 to go with nine rebounds and four assists.