BEREA, Ohio– Junior Academic All-Ohio Athletic Conference guard Audrey Smolik (Strongsville) scored 16 points as the Baldwin Wallace University women's basketball team beat Cleveland cross-town rival Case Western Reserve University, 89-65, in its home opener in the Rudolph Ursprung Gymnasium in the Lou Higgins Center.  

 

In addition to Smolik for BW (2-1), senior two-time All-OAC forward Jessica Lairson (Louisville) and junior guard Shari Mangas (Leipsic) each had 12 points and sophomore forward Alissa Munro (Mansfield/Lexington) had 10. BW canned 29-of-60 field goals, including 11-of-20 from three-point range for 55 percent. The Yellow Jackets also canned 20-of-25 foul shots for 80% and outrebounded the Spartans, 45-29. Case (2-1) was led by by senior guard Julie Mooney's 15 points.

 

BW opened the scoring at the 19:35 mark when senior forward Lexi Rohrbach (Tiffin/Columbian) made one of two foul shots for a 1-0 lead. The Spartans then went on a 9-4 run that included a 7-0 spurt to take a 9-5 lead at 14:35 when Orcutt made a jump shot.

 

BW regained the lead with a 7-2 run and took a 12-11 advantage when Mangas made a three-pointer at 12:11.  After Case scored four straight points to take a 15-12 lead, BW scored five straight and took a 17-15 lead at 10:03 when Smolik made a driving layup, was fouled and canned the free throw.

 

The game was tied on three separate occasions before Smolik made four straight foul shots to give BW a 25-21 lead at 5:27.  A driving jumper by sophomore guard Allyson Helleis (Rocky River) at 4:05 made the lead six at 27-21. Munro and Lairson sandwiched three-pointers in between a Case hoop to put the lead in double digits at 37-27 at 1:26.

 

BW led at halftime, 39-30. In the first 20 minutes, there were eight lead changes and three ties.

 

Case closed the gap to 39-32 with the first basket of the second half at 19:26, but BW came right back with five straight points to lead by 12 at 44-32 with 17:48 left when Smolik hit a jumper. After a Case hoop, BW made three straight three-pointers, including one by Munro at 14:57 to lead 53-34.

 

Case came right back and scored seven straight points to close the gap to 53-41 when Mooney made two foul shots. Undaunted, BW scored five straight to regain a 58-41 lead at 11:15 when Mangas canned a triple. When Mangas made another trey at 8:29, the lead was back to 19 points at 63-44.

 

BW's largest lead of the contest was 27 points on two separate occasions with the last coming at 4:11 when Feaster made a three-pointer.

 

BW returns to action this weekend, November 22-23 when the Yellow Jackets host the BW Invitational Tournament.  On Friday, Nov. 22, BW plays Defiance College at 6 p.m. and Calvin (Mich.) College plays Ohio Wesleyan University at 8 p.m.  The consolation and championship games are on Saturday, Nov. 23 at 2 and 4 p.m., respectively.

 

FOR MORE BW SPORTS INFORMATION, please contact Sports Information Director Kevin Ruple by telephone at 440-826-2327 and e-mail at [kruple@bw.edu]kruple@bw.edu or Assistant SID Jeff Miller by phone at 440-826-2780 and email at [jefmille@bw.edu]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.