Zancan Pours in 50 Points In Overtime Battle Against Alma

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — The Regis College women's basketball team escaped the cold for a few days, traveling south to Daytona Beach, Florida, for the Daytona Beach Shootout. On opening night, they squared off against Alma, where senior Madi Zancan (Cumberland, R.I.) exploded for 50 points in a 92–88 overtime loss.

Zancan delivered an efficient 50-point performance, going 19-for-27 from the field and 12-for-18 from the free-throw line, to go along with 17 rebounds. Jillian Perry (Melrose, Mass.) contributed 12 points and seven rebounds, while Erika Marinelli (Point Pleasant, N.J.) added 10 points in the effort.

The Scots had four players reach double figures, led by Kate Starkey's 21 points. Molly Deurloo posted a 13-point, 13-rebound double-double in the victory.

How it Happened

Both teams got off to a slow start, with a Marinelli triple giving the Pride a slim 5-4 advantage with 4:11 remaining in the opening frame. From there, both teams found their footing offensively, trading the lead before Alama headed into the second quarter holding a 12-11 edge. 

Midway through the second quarter, the Pride went to work in the paint, using back-to-back layups from Zancan and Zoey Swanson (Easton, Mass.) to cut the deficit to 21-16 with four minutes remaining in the half. The Scots later built an 11-point lead, but a pair of triples from Marinelli and Jordyn Striggles (Raynham, Mass.) brought the game back to single digits, as Regis headed into halftime trailing 30-22.

The Scots reclaimed a double-digit lead coming out of the break, but the Pride responded with eight unanswered points, capped by a Zancan bucket to make it a one-possession game at 32-30 just two minutes into the stanza. Following Striggles' second triple of the game, Zancan kept the Pride within striking distance, accounting for the next six points to pull Regis within one at 40-39 with 3:50 remaining in the third. However, the Scots answered with six unanswered of their own to help them to a 55-44 advantage heading into the final 10 minutes of regulation.

The Pride made it a game in the fourth quarter, as Zancan accounted for 16 of the team's first 18 points to start the period to pull Regis within two at 64-62. Shortly thereafter, her layup gave the Pride a 67-66 lead. From there, the teams exchanged leads until the final moments, with the Scots taking a 75-73 advantage with 18 seconds remaining. Zancan then delivered the heroics, knocking down a perfect trip to the stripe with 14 seconds left to send the game into overtime.

Overtime featured back-and-forth action, with Zancan providing 11 of the Pride's 13 points in the extra period. However, the Scots closed down the end, making a pair of perfect trips to the free-throw line to secure a 92–88 victory over the Pride.

Inside the Numbers

• With 50 points tonight, Madi Zancan moved into fourth place on the program's all-time scoring list, passing Amanda Hawkesworth '17 (1,402), with 1,452 career points.
• Madi Zancan's 50-point performance set a new single-game scoring record in the history of the Regis College women's basketball program. While NCAA Division III women's basketball does not officially track single-game scoring records, research indicates that Zancan's effort stands as the highest single-game total among New England programs this season.
• Tonight's matchup between the Pride and the Scots marked the first meeting between the two programs.

Up Next

The Pride will have a quick turnaround, facing Grove City in their second and final game of the Daytona Beach Shootout at 8 p.m.