The Observer, February 25, 2005
Volume XXXVII, Issue 19
Lady Spartans stumble on final road trip of the season
The Case women's basketball team wrapped up its final road trip of the season with two losses this past weekend. On Friday, the Spartans fell to the Violets of New York University by a final score of 72-59. By shooting just 26 percent from the floor and committing 10 turnovers in the first half, Case went into the locker room lucky to be trailing by only eight points, with the score at 37-29. The Spartan defense did force 11 Violet turnovers of its own, but NYU shot 50 percent from the floor in the opening half. Violet forward Rachel Wojdowski's 13 points in the first 20 minutes overshadowed the eight points of Spartan junior guard Amber Hammell. The Spartans dominated the boards in the first half as they had a 28-18 rebounding advantage, with freshman forward Ashley Horton leading the way with 10.
The second half was more of the same as Case's shooting woes continued. The Spartans shot a chilly 29.4 percent in the second half while the Violets made 51.9 percent of their shots. The Spartans hit just six of their 29 three-point attempts in the game. NYU gained control of the boards in the second half as they held a 22-18 edge. Not a single Spartan scored in double figures, as Case was led by sophomore guard Dana Dempsey and senior guard Keesha Allen, both scoring nine points apiece. Horton's 12 rebounds were a game high.
On Sunday, the Spartans were in Boston to challenge the Brandeis Judges, ranked 15th in the nation. The Spartans got off to a strong start behind a strong defensive and rebounding effort. Case held a 24-17 edge on the glass at the half as Horton, Allen and Dempsey each had four rebounds. Case forced nine Brandeis turnovers in the opening half as well. The Spartans also started well offensively, with Dempsey scoring 16 first half points. Freshman guard Mary Herendeen gave Case a big spark off the bench, connecting on four of five shots, to add 11 points as Case took a 43-36 lead into the locker room.
However, the Spartans must have used all of their offensive firepower in the opening half. In the second half, the Spartans shot an abysmal 13.8 percent from the floor and committed 10 turnovers. Dempsey was held to two points in the second half and Herendeen's hot start cooled off as she was held scoreless. Case continued to hold a rebounding edge for the game, 47-35, as Horton had a game-high 10 rebounds. Horton added 11 points for Case, as did Hammell, but it was not enough as Case fell 67-60. The Spartans were outscored 31-17 in the second half.
The Lady Spartans closed out their home season on Wednesday against Carnegie Mellon. After a sluggish start, they started an 8-0 run with 11:29 remaining in the first half, giving them a 17-11 lead. Thanks in part to the low-post play of Horton, outside shooting of Hammell, and defensive excellence of Allen, the Spartans built up a 13-point lead at 36-23 by the end of the half. Case carried over the momentum into the second half, earning the 81-43 victory. Case's record now stands at 10-13.
The Lady Spartans close their first season under coach Jacki Windon on the road with a game tomorrow afternoon at Emory University.
