Box Score Philadelphia, Pa. - (1/24/2015) – Olivia Gorczynski (Parlin, N.J.) picked a perfect time to have the best game of her career. Chestnut Hill College's senior captain poured in a career-high 31 points, the last two giving her an even 1,000 for her career, to headline an 81-49 Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) rout of visiting Concordia College (NY) this afternoon. Gorczynski canned a pair of free throws with 4:51 remaining in regulation to become just the seventh player in program history to reach the milestone.
Chestnut Hill College (5-12, 3-7) got off to a scorching start, with Gorczysnki scoring eight of the team's first 10 points to jumpstart her pursuit of history. The Griffins needed less than six minutes to accrue a double-digit advantage, 20-10 (14:05), and continually added to the bulge from there, eventually taking a 49-27 lead into halftime. Chestnut Hill College torched the Concordia College (3-13, 3-6) defense to the tune of 60.7% shooting (17-of-28), the best mark in a single half since joining National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II. The 49 points was the Griffins highest output in a half since netting 51 in the second half of a 90-40 triumph over Washington Adventist University in the 2010-2011 season opener.
Gorczynski reached the brink of the 1,000-point plateau with a flourish midway through the second half. She sunk two free throws before burying triples on back-to-back possessions, the last putting the hosts ahead 72-37 with 8:21 to play and giving Gorczynski 998 career points. Singularly focused on reaching the milestone, the senior guard misfired on five straight shots before a strong drive forced a Clipper foul and sent her to the line. Gorczynski nailed the first, and with history hanging in the balance, swished the second for her 1,000
th career point. With the home crowd in a frenzy, Head Coach
Laura Pruitt called a timeout as Gorczynski received congratulations from her teammates, soaking in the climactic moment.
Gorczynski is the first Chestnut Hill College player to reach 1,000 points since
Lindsay Alexander '13 did it during the 2012-2013 season. The senior had been struggling leading up to Saturday's contest, hitting double figures in just one of her last five games. This afternoon, she left no doubt, going 9-for-17 (52.9%) from the field, including 6-of-11 (54.5%) from downtown and 7-for-8 (87.5%) from the charity stripe. Gorczynski added a season-best seven rebounds, two assists, three steals, and two blocks to her stat line.
Gorczynski made an immediate impact after joining the Griffins midway through the 2011-2012 campaign, starting 14 of 16 contests and averaging 8.8 points-per-game (PPG). She shared the team lead as a sophomore (11.1 PPG) before becoming its leading scorer last year, averaging 13.8 PPG and finishing 13
th nationally in three-point field goals per game (2.84). Gorczynski has earned four career mentions on the CACC Weekly Honor Roll and was named the team's Most Valuable Player (MVP) a year ago.
Senior forward
Tiffany Turner (Marlton, N.J.) posted her fourth double-double in as many games, hitting for 16 points and 12 rebounds on 8-of-10 (80.0%) from the field to go with two assists, a block, and two steals. Senior guard
Shayla Felder (Cheltenham, Pa.) scored 10 points and handed out a game-high six assists, while classmate
Tenisha Townsend-Mobley (Pleasantville, N.J.) and freshman guard
Bianca Adams (Elkins Park, Pa.) provided seven points apiece.
Freshman guard Julianne Wilkinson (Red Hook, N.J.) led the Clipper effort with 13 points, and senior guard KellyAnn Caravello (Amity Harbor, N.Y.) finished with 11 points and six rebounds. Concordia College shot just 25.0% (8-of-32) from the floor after halftime and 30.3% (20-for-66) overall.
The Griffins stay home for a CACC clash with Wilmington University (Del.) on Tuesday, January 27, at 6:00 p.m.
