Rae White (22) scored 14 points in the Devils' win (Ron Szot photo).
The Fredonia women's basketball team won its first game of the season with a 62-53 win over Medaille College.
Sarah Sweazy (Rochester, N.Y./Rush Henrietta) led the Devils with 15 points, four steals and added seven rebounds. Sophomore Rae White (North Collins/Lake Shore) sparked the team with 15 points and three steals off the bench.
It was the first win at Fredonia for Head Coach Sarah Cartmill, who has previous head coaching experience at Bard College.
Jenna Einink (WestfieldChautauqua Lake) began the game with a three-pointer to give Fredonia the early lead. Medaille answered with a three-pointer from Brigid Taylor, followed by a three-point play by Morgan Kennedy. They would have their biggest lead at 15-9.
Fredonia then used defensive pressure and the scoring of Sweazy to take the lead. The Devils rattled of an 11-0 run with Sweazy accounting for eight of those points.
A layup followed by a fast-break bucket by Sweazy put the Devils up 16-15 at the end of the first quarter. She opened the second quarter with consecutive field goals. Fredonia built a 30-23 lead by the break.
The Devils created 13 turnovers in the first half and had a 12-2 lead on points off turnovers. Sweazy led all scorers with 11 points and three steals. Ranya Rumph led Medaille with eight points.
Both teams put up 17 points in the third quarter, which ended with the Devils still up seven points, 47-40. White accounted for nine points in the third, shooting 3 of 4 from beyond the arc.
Midway through the fourth, Fredonia used a three-pointer from Lauren Mickley (Danville, Ohio/Danville) to extend the lead to 15 -- its largest of the game. From there, the Mavericks would get no closer than eight points.
Anna Chiacchia (Hamburg/Hamburg) added 10 points and Einink led the Devils with nine rebounds.
Medaille (1-4) was paced by Rumph with 14 points and nine rebounds.
Prior to the game, Einink was honored for reaching the 1,000-point mark. She reached that mark in last season's final game.
The Devils (1-3) open conference play with a women's/men's doubleheader on Saturday. Game time for the women is set for 2 p.m. in Dods Hall. It's also the next installment in the Battle By The Lake series with the Bengals. The Blue Devils hold a 6-4 lead after the fall season.
