BEREA, OHIO -- Freshman guard Rosa LaMattina scored a game-high tying 27 points as the 25th-ranked (WBCA) Mount Union College women's basketball team defeated Ohio Athletic Conference rival Baldwin Wallace University, 81-78, tonight (Wednesday, February 10, 2010) in the Ursprung Gymnasium in Berea.
With the win, the Purple Raiders improve to 19-3 overall, 12-3 in the OAC, and move into a tie for second-place in the conference with BW. With the loss, the Yellow Jackets fall to 16-6 overall, 12-3 in the OAC, and split the season-series with MUC.
In addition to LaMattina for Mount Union, Lauren Forquer scored 13 points. BW was led by junior guard Amanda Schroeder (Columbus Grove) with a game and career-high tying 27 points.
In the first half, BW led 8-7 when junior guard Schroeder nailed a three-pointer at 17:46. Mount Union moved ahead with a 13-5 run ending in a LaMattina fast-break layup that made the score 21-12 at the 12:59 mark. The Yellow Jackets answered with a 12-5 run of their own and trailed 26-24 when junior guard Ali Stack (Vermilion) scored on a layup at 9:27. However, the Raiders outscored the Jackets 25-17 over the duration of the half and led 51-41 at intermission.
In the second half, Mount Union built its lead to a high of 13 points on two separate occasions, the second coming when Kelly Evans scored on a layup to make the score 60-47 at the 14:58 mark. BW rallied with a 16-5 run and got to within 65-63 when Schroeder drove the lane for a layup with 8:36 left to play. After the two sides exchanged buckets, the Jackets pulled even closer when senior center Ariel Brough (Powell/ Olentagy Liberty) hit a short jumper to make the score 68-67 with 6:33 remaining.
Both teams then took turns hitting key baskets over the next six minutes before BW once again got to within one, at 79-78, when Schroeder connected on a three-pointer with just under 14 seconds left to play. LaMattina then hit a pair of free throws and the Raiders forced a turnover on BW's final possession to secure the 81-78 victory.
BW is back in action on Saturday, February 13 when it travels to New Concord to play OAC-rival Muskingum University in the Muskingum HPER Center at 3:00 p.m. The final regular season home game for the Yellow Jackets is on Wednesday, Feb. 17 when they host Ohio Northern University on Senior Night in the Ursprung Gym at 7:30 p.m. Prior to the game, BW will honor Brough, its lone senior, along with her parents.