The Observer, December 7, 2007
Volume XL, Issue 13
Three straight wins for women's basketball
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Extending their win streak to three, the Lady Spartans' basketball team prevailed over Ohio Wesleyan University 74-61 last Saturday.
"They came into the game 4-1 with a pretty high-powered offense that consistently scored in the mid-to- low 70s. Our defense really stepped up ,along with our almost shooting 60 percent from the field in the first half, that put us over the top," said head coach Jennifer Reimer.
One telling statistic from the Dec. 1 game was the rebound race between the teams. The Spartans especially dominated the defensive boards, leading in overall rebounds, 46-34.
"Holding the rebounding advantage on the glass was a plus; we were able to limit them to one shot. Our focus is playing good defense and working for those good shots on offense," said Reimer.
Concerning their explosive offense, the Spartans were paced with performances of 16, 20, and 20 points by seniors Mary Herendeen and Ashley Horton, and sophomore Ashleigh Tondo, respectively. No one from the bench scored more than six points for the Spartans.
"We talk a lot about sharing the ball; it just doesn't always end up that way. Horton, Tondo, and Herendeen have come up huge for us. On the defensive side, we are going to continue to work with a half-court zone. They get better every day; it gives us coaches freedom to experiment with new schemes," said Reimer.
Ashley Horton, averaging a double-double in points and rebounds per game, has been on fire this season. She led the Spartans with nine rebounds on Saturday, knocking in seven of nine free throws and even adding a field goal from beyond the arc.
"We have an advantage in our seniors, Horton being one of them. Not only has she established herself as one of the best players around, but she continues to dominate both sides of the ball. We have this great balance in our team; it's why we're getting success. Coming off the bench I think our players have done a great job when they get their shot; everyone's doing their part," said Reimer.
The Case women have already participated in two tournaments in which they faced tough competition, with another coming up on Dec. 27 to Jan. 2 in Orange County, Calif. The Orange County Surf City Classic is a new event for Case.
"The tournament schedule gives us good preparation (for league games). It helps our level of conditioning especially. With 11 players, it becomes important to always be in shape," said Reimer. "I've been proud of our second-day performances; we showed toughness and perseverance to how hard we could work. All we can hope is that this translates when the time comes for conference schedule."
The team will be happy to escape to a warmer climate. "The schedule was in place before I got here; the previous coach put this in motion, and the girls wanted to still go. We don't quite know yet who we will be playing," said Reimer. "Widener, the college our football team beat, for sure will be there along with Concordia. We are waiting for films, but the focus is definitely on Wooster this week."
The Spartan's next game is Dec. 8 at 2 p.m. in Veale against the College of Wooster. As of Tuesday, the Fighting Scots are 1-3, with two of those losses coming close at the end.
"Wooster is a young, good group of athletes, consistently in the top half of their league. They are aggressive offensively and will be a nice wrap-up before our break and the next tournament," said Reimer.
