Goldey-Beacom turned on the offensive jets to the tune of 30 fourth-quarter points and left Newark, DE with an 82-73 season-opening triumph over Saint Rose.
The Lightning were in a 69-65 hole with 4 1/2 minutes left when their offense got in gear. That was helped in a big way by senior Mone Izumi (Fukuoka, Japan), who canned a 3-pointer from the right corner with 4:09 remaining to make it a one-point game.
Rory Ciszkowski (Wilmington, DE) made a huge statement in her first collegiate game by getting a steal on the ensuing possession. That led to another massive possession in which senior Jhordan Gardner (Swedesboro, NJ) ended by burying a 3-pointer, making it 71-69 with 3:49 to go.
Goldey-Beacom had its offensive confidence back and then had the ball with the game tied, 73-73 and less than two minutes left. Senior Alexis Harrison (Millville, NJ) once again announced her presence in the post by getting a huge layup with 1:36 left for the lead.
The Golden Knights fell victim to the Lightning's defense, not getting off a shot in the next two possessions. Harrison made them pay by going 3-for-4 from the stripe for a 78-73 margin with 44 seconds left that all but ended things.
Harrison closed with 20 points on 5-of-9 shooting and went 10-for-15 from the foul line. She moved up to 13th place in team history with 845 career points.
Senior Alanna Speaks (Dover, DE) had 16 points and seven rebounds with Gardner adding 11 points for the Lightning.
GBC (1-0) outscored CSR 30-16 in the final period by shooting 57 percent (8-of-14) from the floor and going 11-for-16 from the foul line. Harrison netted 12 points in the fourth.
Aniya McDonald-Perry had 17 points and 15 rebounds, Isabel Sanchez scored 15 points and Ryley Blasetti netted 10 points, although it seemed like more than that for the Golden Knights (0-1).
It also was the 95th victory for Bethann Burke, who now is the winningest coach in program history. Jen Carleton, her predecessor, had 94 triumphs from 2007-13. Burke has led Goldey-Beacom to fourth berths in the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Tournament and in 2014 took them to the ECAC final.
Goldey-Beacom on Saturday faces the District of Columbia, beginning at noon in Newark.
