"In the first half we didn't come out how we would have liked and it put us in a hole," said head coach Joan Bonvicini. "The second half was a different story. I thought Cassidy (Murillo) had an outstanding game both offensively and defensively, but we have to put it together for 40 minutes."
Senior Murillo showed her experience, as she made several spectacular offensive and defensive plays. She scored 14 points and had five rebounds, five assists and three steals in a team-leading 37 minutes of action. She was instrumental in SU's second half come from behind run that brought the Redhawks within seven points with 8:21 remaining.
After holding WM off the board for almost a minute, the Tribe was able to convert a pair of free throw shots to prevent SU from garnering enough momentum. Despite several attempts at chipping away at WM's double digit lead, the East Coast-based squad was able to maintain at least an 11-point advantage to close out the game.
The Tribe's offensive power was managed by sophomore Taysha Pye, who led the team with 22 points, 11 rebounds, three assists and five steals in 36 minutes on the floor.
For the Redhawks, who shot 39.3 percent, senior Ashley Brown led the team with 17 points for the second straight game, including five 3-pointers. The Kirkland, Wash. native also had two rebounds and a steal.
The Redhawks return to the court tomorrow, Sunday, Nov. 29, to conclude the Thanksgiving Tournament. SU will take on UW-Milwaukee in a 1 p.m. contest in the Connolly Center.