The Observer, February 22, 2008
Volume XL, Issue 18
Spartans watch early lead slip away against WashU
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The Spartans were unable to hold onto early leads and capitalize on a pair of double-doubles from Ashley Horton during Throwback Weekend at Adelbert Gym.
The Spartans fell to Washington University on Friday, and couldn't pull out a seesaw battle against the Maroons from the University of Chicago. The final scores of the two games were 74-65 and 59-54, respectively. Both games were University Athletic Association contests.
Horton finished with a team-high 14 points and a game-high 16 rebounds in the loss to Washington. The Spartans took a one-point lead midway through the first half, as sophomore forward Kristyn Atkins ran the ball down the court herself to lay in a basket, giving the Spartans a 16-15 lead. Horton kept the women in the game, knocking down a three-pointer to tie the game at 27 with 4:48 remaining in the half. After a quick run to end the half, the Bears went into the locker room with a 33-27 advantage. The Spartans would however strike fast in the second half. A flash of brilliance by freshman guard Caitlyn Henry would bring the Spartans even at 35, as her five points in the first two minutes of the half put the game back into anybody's hands. "That was big for us, to come out of the gate with a high level of intensity," said Henry. Unfortunately, it went into Washington's hands, as the Bears went on a 19-9 run with less than 10 minutes remaining. The Spartans would not recover, and the Bears would seal the win by making four free throws in the final minute. Colleen Martin and Henry each finished the contest with 13 points for the Spartans, but as a team, the women shot only 32.3 percent from the field, and one of eight from downtown in the game. "It was a tough shooting night for us, but we did play strong defense for most of the game," said Martin.
On Sunday's game versus University of Chicago, Horton posted another double-double. However, it wasn't enough, as the Spartans fell in their second UAA matchup of the weekend. The Spartans jumped out of the gate on fire, with senior guard Mary Herendeen's three-pointer giving the Spartans a 12-3 lead. Herendeen was lighting it up early, with nine points in the first 20 minutes, including three shots from long distance. "I was feeling pretty good during shoot-around before the game. It was nice to start out hot from behind the arc," said Herendeen.
The Spartans started the game on a 20-5 run and went into the half with momentum and an overall lead of 26-22. While the Spartans shot only 32.3 percent in the first half, they played absolutely stifling defense, limiting the Maroons of Chicago to only 20 percent field goal success.
The remainder of the game didn't prove to be as impressive for the Spartans, with the Maroons taking a 12-point lead midway through the second half. Henry and Horton would help the Spartans cut the deficit to one with less than two minutes left. But Chicago just had the Spartans playing to their style. The Maroons continued to play with aggression, and got to the foul line a total of 19 times. The Maroons shot more efficiently in the second half, knocking down nearly half of their shots.
The Spartans look to rebound from the pair of losses over the weekend, and will make their final road trip of the season when the face the Yellowjackets of Rochester tonight and the Tartans of Carnegie Mellon University on Sunday.
