CLEVELAND, Ohio – The No. 21 Baldwin Wallace women's basketball team traveled across town to face Case Western Reserve University for the 2021-22 season opener in Horsburgh Gymnasium inside the Veale Center.
The Yellow Jackets (1-0) outscored the Spartans (0-1) 24-9 in the fourth quarter to push them past CWRU by a 72-59 final score. BW shot 38.1% (24-63) as a team from the floor, and 41.7% (15-36) in the second half.
The Yellow Jackets notched the first points of the game as BW's own junior Academic All-OAC guard Izzy Andrews (Ann Arbor, Mich./Rudolf Steiner School) sunk a layup just 16 seconds into the ball game. A couple fouls by BW gave CWRU opportunities from the charity stripe. Two straight made shots by sophomore forward Sylvie Sonneman (Jamestown/Greenview) earned the Yellow Jackets the lead back.
BW kept the lead the rest of the quarter, outscoring the Spartans 19-15 in the first. The Yellow Jackets shot 41.2% from the floor in the first. Heading into the second quarter, CWRU found some fire, going on a 7-2 scoring run, earning the 23-21 lead, and forcing BW to a timeout.
CWRU extended the lead to three points before a two-minute scoring drought from both teams. A made three-pointer and a layup ended the dry spell and gave the Spartans the largest lead of the half by either team (33-25).
BW's last seven points of the half came from two free throws by sophomore guard Emily Irwin (Pickerington/Watkins Memorial), two free throws by senior Academic All-OAC guard Sydney Snyder (Kirtland), and three free throws by senior First Team All-OAC performer and Academic All-OAC forward Lilly Edwards (Dublin/Coffman) to add to her seven other first-half points. The Yellow Jackets heading into the locker room at halftime, trailing 36-32.
Edwards came out at the half, knocking down two contested layups to tie the game 36-36. The Spartans got a few stops and went on another small run to go up four (42-38) and force the Yellow Jackets to a timeout. With CWRU up eight, BW responded as senior Academic All-OAC guard Megan Hensel (Upper Sandusky) hit two straight from downtown to bring the Yellow Jackets within two to end the third.
The Yellow Jackets kept the Spartans scoreless the first two minutes of the fourth quarter while surging on the offensive end, going on a 9-0 scoring run and grabbing the lead back (57-50). An old-fashioned three-point play by Edwards put BW up 10 points (62-52) and give the Yellow Jacket bench some energy. It was the Yellow Jackets the rest of the way, outscoring CWRU 10-7 to clinch the victory.
Edwards led BW, notching a double-double with 22 points and 12 rebounds. Hensel also earned double-digit points, totaling 11 points. Hensel also added seven rebounds. Irwin finished with nine points in her Yellow Jacket debut and added three assists and three steals. Also posting nine points for BW was Snyder and Sonneman. Freshman forward Caely Ressler (Napoleon) recorded seven points and grabbed four rebounds.
The Yellow Jackets return to play next Friday, November 19 and Saturday, November 20 as BW travels to Holland, Mich. for the Hope Tournament for two non-conference games. BW will take on Olivet (Mich.) College at 5:30 p.m. on Friday before taking on #1 Hope at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday.
