CHC game benefits vets on Pearl Harbor anniversary

Posted 12/12/16

Members of the Chestnut Hill College and University of Bridgeport women’s basketball teams unfurl a giant American flag for the playing of the National Anthem prior to last Wednesday’s Military …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

Log in

CHC game benefits vets on Pearl Harbor anniversary

Posted

Members of the Chestnut Hill College and University of Bridgeport women’s basketball teams unfurl a giant American flag for the playing of the National Anthem prior to last Wednesday’s Military Appreciation night game. (Photo by Tom Utescher) Members of the Chestnut Hill College and University of Bridgeport women’s basketball teams unfurl a giant American flag for the playing of the National Anthem prior to last Wednesday’s Military Appreciation night game. (Photo by Tom Utescher)[/caption]

by Tom Utescher

At a women’s basketball game last Wednesday evening, Chestnut Hill College held a Military Appreciation Night on the 75th anniversary of the attack on the Pearl Harbor, Hawaii naval base that resulted in the United States officially entering World War II.

CHC junior guard Caroline Gehring, whose father, uncle, and grandfather are U.S. Navy veterans, helped spearhead the organization of the event, which recognized the sacrifice of members of all branches of the country’s armed services. Contributions of coats and canned goods, as well as monetary donations, were accepted and passed on to the Philadelphia Veterans House.

Military veterans were invited to center court for a halftime ceremony, and prior to the game, the National Anthem was played as the CHC Griffins and the visiting players from the University of Bridgeport (Conn.) held a giant flag out on the floor. This star-spangled banner, which covered much of the court, was donated by Metropolitan Flag and Banner Company, of Philadelphia.

The game action on the court was not quite as rewarding for the Chestnut Hill College faithful, as the Purple Knights of Bridgeport raised their record to 7-1 with a 101-75 victory over the Griffins, who remained above .500 with a 5-3 mark.

Fired up for the start of the game, CHC charged to an 11-4 lead thanks to three three-pointers by Caity Kuhnen and a short jumper by fellow senior guard Brittany McDonough. With 6’5” Samnell Vonleh serving as their centerpiece, the visitors alarmed CHC fans with their response as they ran the floor and rained three-pointers to outscore the Griffins 32-2 over the remainder of the first quarter.

In the second stanza, the local ladies set about the process of trying to climb out of this early 23-point hole.

Sophomore forward Jaeda Wildgoose got her first points of the game on a lay-up at the start of the second period and junior guard Vicki Tumazs struck from the three-point loop, as did Kuhnen.

Kuhnen then scored a lay-up in transition, and she converted an offensive rebound the next time down the floor. Fouled on the second play, she added a free throw that brought the Griffins’ deficit down into single digits (43-34) with 2:48 remaining in the first half. Later, with five seconds left, sophomore point guard Mary Trossi hooped a pair of free throws to make it an eight-point game at the break, 49-41.

At this stage, Kuhnen led all scorers with a 17-point showing that included four-for-six firing from three-point range. Close behind, hitting all of her five triple tries for 15 points, was Bridgeport’s

import from Quebec, junior guard Aurelie Leblanc-Florent.

Almost halfway through the third period, the gap between the teams was still in the high single digits, a nine-point spread at 60-51. Bridgeport then sank three straight field goals, including one three-point bucket, to lever its lead to 16 points. Some late free throws for the Knights pushed the margin up near 20 points for the close of the quarter, with the count now 76-57.

After CHC's Wildgoose knocked down one of two foul shots to open the fourth round, a trey and two free throws by the visitors lifted them back to a 23-point lead for the first time since early in the second quarter. Bridgeport's lead peaked at 32 points (99-67) with a little over two minutes left in the contest, and the Knights wound up settling for a 28-point win.

sports