BEREA, OHIO -- Junior guard Amanda Schroeder (Columbus Grove) scored a game-high 18 points as the third-seeded Baldwin Wallace University women's basketball team rallied to defeat cross-town rival and sixth-seeded John Carroll University, 68-65, tonight (Wednesday, February 23, 2010) in the Ohio Athletic Conference Tournament quarterfinals at Ursprung Gymnasium. BW advances to the OAC final four on Friday in Columbus.
The Yellow Jackets are now 19-7 overall, have beaten JCU six straight times and in 36 of the last 37 meetings to lead the all-time series, 41-19. With its loss, JCU ends its season at 11-14 and on a four-game losing streak.
In addition to Schroeder for BW, senior center Ariel Brough (Powell/Olentangy Liberty) totaled 15 points, eight rebounds and a game-high four blocked shots. Freshman guard Olivia French (Bucyrus/Colonel Crawford) scored 10 with four assists. JCU was led by Lee Jennings with 17 points.
The first half began with nine lead changes in the opening 7:56 before John Carroll scored six straight and led 18-14 at the 11:44 mark. The Blue Streak lead grew to a high of eight, at 27-19, when Sadie Zander hit a three-pointer at 8:13. The Yellow Jackets rallied with a 14-4 run and led 33-31 when Brough scored on a layup at 3:25. Sophomore wing Monica Gustin (Bexley) ignited the BW run with back-to-back three-pointers. Undaunted, JCU closed the half on an 8-0 run and led 39-33 when Jennings completed a three-point play with 10 seconds remaining.
In the second half, JCU opened on a 4-0 run and led by 10 at 43-33 when Caitlin Sureck canned a jumper at 18:03. BW battled back with a 13-4 run and trailed 47-46 when French hit a jumper at 11:13. The Blue Streaks briefly regained control and built their lead back to eight, at 62-54, on a Sureck layup with 5:54 left to play.
The Jackets once again rallied and twice got within one at 63-62 at 4:09 and 65-64 at 2:07 with key baskets from French. Both sides then went scoreless until BW got a pair of clutch free throws from sophomore forward Catherine Spisak (Sandusky/St. Mary Central Catholic) that put the Jackets ahead 66-65 with 16 seconds remaining.
BW then held JCU without a score on its next possession and got two more free throws from French to make the score 68-65. The Streaks had one last desperation shot from half court that did not go as BW survived for the quarterfinal win.
BW is back in action on Friday, Feb. 26 when it plays second-seeded Mount Union College, a 59-56 winner against Otterbein College, in one semifinal game at host and top-seeded Capital University in the Capital Center in Columbus at 3:00 p.m. Capital hosts Ohio Northern University in the other semifinal match. The 2010 OAC Women's Basketball Championship Game will be played on Saturday, Feb. 27 at 3:00 p.m.
Media and fans can listen live to all Yellow Jacket men's and women's basketball games on campus radio station WBW, 88.3 FM, and via the Internet at www.wBW.com.
FOR MORE SPORTS INFORMATION, please contact Sports Information Director Kevin Ruple by telephone at 440-826-2327 and e-mail at kruple@bw.edu or Assistant SID Jeff Miller by phone at 440-826-2780 and email at jefmille@bw.edu. Fans can access the latest BW athletics information at www.BWyellowjackets.com and we invite you to join us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/bwyellowjackets and Twitter at http://twitter.com/bwathletics.
