Women's Basketball Scoreboard (Nov. 23)
Green Bay 74, Vermont 57
Milwaukee 76, North Dakota State 64
UIC 76, Miami (Ohio) 66
Ball State 80, Detroit 74
Florida Atlantic 81, Cleveland State 78
Green Bay 74, Vermont 57
For the second time in program history, the Green Bay women’s basketball team earned the TD Bank Classic title, hosted by the University of Vermont, with a 74-57 win over the host Catamounts on Saturday evening at Patrick Gymnasium.
Sophomore Kaili Lukan (Barrie, Ontario) was named the tournament MVP, while sister junior Megan Lukan (Barrie, Ontario) was also named to the all-tournament team. Kaili finished the weekend averaging 12.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.5 steals in 26.0 minutes of action, shooting 70 percent (7-10) from three. Megan averaged 11.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 3.0 steals in 32.5 minutes.
“Kaili did a great job this weekend, especially shooting from three,” head coach Kevin Borseth said. “She played well and deserved the honor for how much she helped this team.
“I was proud of our team for the effort they put forth today,” Borseth said. “We played hard, and everyone was able to get time which was great for our players to get experience, especially against a tough Vermont team.”
Opening the first half a perfect 3-for-3 from deep with baskets by freshman Tesha Buck (Red Wing, Minn.), Kaili Lukan and freshman Mehryn Kraker (West Allis, Wis.), the Phoenix jumped out to a 9-4 lead, eventually building that advantage to 12-9 with 13:19 remaining.
A 7-0 run gave the Catamounts the lead, 16-12, with 8:55 on the clock. Kaili Lukan broke the run with her second three pointer of the night, but transitioning to the other end of the court Vermont’s Kylie Butler was fouled as she made a layup for the three point play to keep the Catamounts ahead, 19-15.
It was the last lead of the half for Vermont, as freshman Sam Terry (Baraboo, Wis.) made a three and Megan Lukan sunk a pair of free throws to put the Phoenix ahead, 20-19, with 7:41 remaining. The Phoenix closed the half on a 22-4 scoring advantage, including the baskets by Terry and Megan Lukan, over the final 8:15 to go into the half with a 37-23 lead. During the run the Phoenix held the Catamounts to just one basket, and without a bucket over the final 4:25.
The Phoenix shot 41.4 percent (12-29) from the field, including going 66.7 percent (6-9) from three. On the other end, Vermont shot 39.1 percent (9-23) from the field and 14.3 percent (1-7) from three.
Green Bay started the second half with two quick baskets to force a Catamount timeout, and turned up the pressure on both the offensive and defensive end as it continued to build its lead. Going on a 13-0 run to take a 50-23 lead, the Phoenix defense held Vermont without a field goal over the first 5:38 of the stanza. A Butler layup and-1 ended a span of 10:03 scoreless minutes spanning both halves for Vermont, but the Phoenix continued to control the tempo as it cruised to the win.
Megan Lukan finished with a team-high 12 points, while Kaili Lukan added nine points and a career-high six rebounds. Mariah Monke (Fergus Falls, Minn.) had a career game with seven points, seven rebounds and two blocks. Vermont received a game-high 16 points and nine rebounds from Butler.
For the game, Green Bay shot 36.1 percent (22-61) and finished at 50.0 percent (8-16) from deep. Vermont outrebounded the Phoenix, 40-39, but the Phoenix led in assists, 12-9, and steals, 10-7.
Milwaukee 76, North Dakota State 64
Junior Ashley Green had a double-double of 21 points and 11 rebounds and sophomore Avyanna Young nearly joined her with 22 points and nine rebounds to help the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee women's basketball team to a 76-64 victory over North Dakota State University Saturday afternoon at the Klotsche Center.
The Panthers (1-2) shot over 50 percent after intermission and extended their 12-point halftime lead over the Bison (1-4) to as many as 16 in the second half.
"It was a good win," UWM head coach Kyle Rechlicz said. "It was exactly what we have been looking to do in locking in our defense. We hadn't been there the first few games with our defense and I felt like - especially in the first half - that we came out with such an energy and intensity and the defense was really on point."
Just one game removed from posting career-highs in points and rebounds, Young tied her collegiate-best point total on an efficient 9-for-12 showing from the floor. She added those nine rebounds, one assist and a block.
"She has really slowed herself down," Rechlicz said. "Avyanna is almost too quick some times and she has really gotten herself under control. Her step-though moves, everything, she's just really increased her game and playing under control. We need this from here game-in and game-out the rest of the season."
Green had her best outing of the season, recording the fifth double-double of her career. Senior Angela Rodriguez was also in double-figures with 14 points. She handed out a team-high five assists and took over for a stretch when NDSU had cut the lead back to under 10 points in the second half.
"She is our leader and someone that I know I can look to when times are getting tight and say `put the ball in your hands, make a play' and she finds the way to do something," Rechlicz said. "She's fearless out there, she plays with no fear and to have a player like that really helps our team."
Brooke LeMar shot 26 times to lead the way for the Bison with 25 points, adding nine rebounds and five assists as the only visitor in double-figures.
An NDSU jumper at the 12:46 mark had it back within eight points at 52-44. From there, it was all Rodriguez, driving to the hoop for a basket, making a steal on defense on the next Bison possession before hitting a three-pointer in transition to push the margin back to 13. She wasn't done there, throwing a long outlet pass to Green on the break for the assist on UWM's next possession after that. From there, the lead would never fall below 10 the rest of the way.
Senior Kimee Chandler chipped in with seven points, four rebounds and four assists. Freshman Christina Wakeman was a strong post presence with six points and five boards in 14 minutes off the bench.
The game started back-and-forth, with UWM then finding itself trailing 10-7 early. However, 11 points in a row made it 18-10 in Milwaukee's favor and the team never looked back after that 11-0 scoring run. Wakeman had a basket and a pair of free throws in the stretch, with Young and Green adding made baskets and Rodriguez a three-pointer to account for the unanswered barrage.
The Bison made a run at the end of the half, but Milwaukee scored the final five points of the frame to take a 35-23 lead into the locker room.
For the game, the Panthers shot 44.1 percent (26-of-59) from the floor compared to 32.9 percent (24-of-73) for the Bison. UWM held a 42-28 advantage in the paint and 17-9 on the fast break. The team also fared even on the boards, 43-43, and turned the ball over just 11 times.
UIC 76, Miami (Ohio) 66
Senior Rachel Story scored 23 points and the UIC women’s basketball team (3-2) picked up its third straight victory with a 76-66 home win over Miami (OH) (1-3) Saturday afternoon. Story hit 5-of-6 three-pointers and the Flames shot 50 percent from beyond the arc (9-of-18) against the RedHawks, who won 19 games and qualified for the WNIT last season.
UIC has won three straight for the first time since Feb. 9-16, 2012 when the Flames defeated Youngstown State, Cleveland State and Valparaiso. One more win would be UIC’s first four-game win streak since Jan. 14-28, 2012.
“Rachel [Story] is one of our top three-point shooters and she did her job tonight,” said UIC head coach Regina Miller. “Miami is a very competitive team who has been in the postseason so they know what it takes to win. We were able to sustain their runs in the second half.”
UIC never trailed in the game and held a 23-point advantage at 32-9 with 7:12 left in the first half. Two late three-pointers by the RedHawks trimmed the UIC lead to 17 at halftime (46-29). Miami battled tough and narrowed the UIC lead to five at 71-66 with 1:35 left in the second half but Megan Wallace scored four straight points and a free throw from Story ended the contest.
UIC shot 65.4 percent in the first half, including 8-of-13 from beyond the arc. The Flames hit just one triple in the second half but still shot 50 percent from three-point land for the first time since Jan. 12, 2013 at Loyola.
Story’s five three-pointers ties her career high set in Wednesday’s 88-65 victory at SIUE. She hit 8-of-10 free throws in the second half to help UIC sustain the lead. Story missed the first two games of the season but is averaging 22.7 points and shooting 59.1 percent from downtown since her return.
Senior Katie Hannemann collected her fourth consecutive double-digit scoring effort with 18 points on 5-of-10 shooting. She added six rebounds and hit eight of her ten free throw attempts. Hannemann also had three of UIC’s seven steals. The Flames scored 27 points off 17 Miami turnovers.
Redshirt sophomore Ruvanna Campbell posted her fourth consecutive double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Campbell, who was an efficient 5-of-6 from the floor, added a block and a steal over 23 minutes.
Sophomore Terri Bender had an all-around solid effort with 11 points, five rebounds, four assists and a blocked shot. She hit 3-of-4 three-point attempts in the first half.
Ball State 80, Detroit 74
Senior Megan Hatter recorded her first career double-double and classmate Senee Shearer tallied 28 points, but the Titans just could not complete the comeback as the University of Detroit Mercy women's basketball team fell to Ball State, 80-74, on Saturday morning in Calihan Hall.
The game tipped off at 11:00 a.m., on Dick Vitale Court due to the men hosting the 2K Sports Classic benefiting the Wounded Warrior Project.
Shearer was 9-of-20 from the field and tied her career high with six 3-pointers, while playing all 40 minutes. Hatter posted a season-high 14 points and a career-best 11 rebounds in just 27 minutes, and junior Ellisha Crosby collected her third double-double of the year with 14 points and 10 boards.
Detroit (1-5) was behind by 14, Ball State's (1-3) largest lead of the game, 50-36, with 17:07 left when the Titans began to peck away at the Cardinals. First was a 10-2 spurt over the next four minutes that started with a three-point play from freshman Lizzy Connors and two-straight baskets by Hatter cut that deficit to eight, 51-43, with 13:20 left in the game. Hatter then nailed a trifecta to get the red, white and blue within six, 52-46, with 12:59 left.
UDM would creep closer as back-to-back scores from Hatter and Shearer had UDM down by just five, 60-55, at the 9:35 mark, and then freshman Reyna Montgomery found a cutting Crosby to make it a 63-59 game. The red-hot Hatter – who had all 14 points all in the second half – put in another 3-pointer to get UDM back to one, 63-62, with 7:45 left, but that was as close as the red, white and blue would get even through the Titans had three-straight possessions to take the lead.
BSU would run its lead back to as many as six but the Titans took it down to just two, three times, including at 76-74 off a trey by Shearer with 1:22 remaining. UDM would force a turnover with less than a minute to go, but Shearer's jumper against some tough Cardinals' defense with 25 seconds left did not fall.
Crosby tied her season high with four assists and had a pair of steals. Sophomore DaVonna Bradford netted four points and pulled down a career-best eight rebounds in 15 minutes of court time, while freshman Megan Galloway totaled four points, a season-high seven caroms and three assists.
The Titans got off to a slow start as Ball State raced out to a 13-3 lead. Crosby got UDM on the board with a 3-pointer and then a trey by Shearer followed to make it 13-6 at the 15:29 mark.
That three ignited a 16-4 run as the Titans jumped on top, 19-17, with 8:24 left in the half. Shearer and Crosby started it with a pair of free throws and off a strong rebound from Galloway, freshman Reyna Montgomery was able to dive to the hole for a basket to cut it to 16-12.
Shearer then drained her second long ball off the contest to make it a one-point game and after a BSU bucket, Shearer connected on a jump shot and Detroit took the lead on Bradford's layup.
Ball State jumped back in front, but Shearer – who had 17 first-half points – went to the line for two more free throws and then she went to the rim for another score and a 23-20 advantage with seven minutes left.
The Cardinals were able to regain the lead, but Detroit stayed right in the game as Bradford, Montgomery and freshman Haleigh Ristovski all had baskets with UDM trailing at the half, 44-33.
UDM set a school record with 33 three-point attempts and made a season-high 10 on the day. Detroit was also 16-of-20 at the free throw line and outrebounded the Cardinals, 43-40, in the contest, including 15 offensive rebounds.
Florida Atlantic 81, Cleveland State 78
The Cleveland State women's basketball team had four players post double-digit points Saturday, including two with career-highs, but that wouldn't be enough as the Vikings fell short against Florida Atlantic, 81-78. Saturday's contest, which included 16 lead changes and 11 ties, put the Vikings at 1-3 this season while the Owls improved to 3-2.
Imani Gordon led the Vikings with a career-high 18 points, along with 13 rebounds to mark her first double-double of the season, while Adesuwa Aideyman tallied a career-high 16 points, including a trio of three-pointers. Aideyman also added a career-high six assists.
Cori Coleman and Kiersten Green each notched 15 points against the Owls, while Brooke Smith tallied a career-high seven points, four assists and three steals.
The Vikings went into the halftime break with a 35-33 advantage thanks to a 9-1 run over the final 3:06 of the opening half. During this stretch the Vikings had three points from Aideyman and Gordon, two from Smith and one from Allison Mitchell.
To start the second half, the two teams traded points throughout the first four minutes, until the Vikings were able to distance themselves with a 9-0 run that put the score at 52-44 with 13:43 left to play. During this run, CSU matched its largest lead of five points with a Green layup at the 14:19 mark, and then extended their lead with an Aideyman three-pointer just 34-seconds later.
The Owls then responded with an 11-1 run of their own, including three-straight three-pointers, to regain the lead at 55-53 with 11:23 left to play. Over the next two possessions, Coleman converted a pair of layups to give the Vikings a slight two-point lead at 57-55, before Florida Atlantic once again went on a run, regaining a four-point lead at 63-59 with under 10 minutes left in the contest.
Over the next 5:18 the two teams battled back and forth, tying the contest twice during this span, until the Vikings were able to gain control of the contest with a mini 4-0 run including two free throws from Smith and a layup from Schmitt. With just 3:59 left to play, CSU held a 74-70 advantage – marking what would eventually be their final lead of the contest.
With an 8-0 run over the next 2:14, the Owls gained a 78-74 advantage with just 1:45 left on the clock, but the Vikings would hang tough as they matched each FAU basket until the final seconds. Layups from Smith and Green in the closing minutes brought the Vikings within two points at the 80-78 mark with 55-seconds remaining.
A Florida Atlantic free throw with 18 seconds left put the Owls ahead by three (81-78), but with a Schmitt rebound on the following free throw the Vikings were able to get two chances at a tying three-point attempt, but a stingy FAU defense kept the Vikings off the board in the final seconds.
As a team, CSU notched a .547 shooting percentage from the field (29-53), while the Owls tallied a 42-percent clip (31-73). The Vikings grabbed 35 rebounds during the contest, and forced FAU into 14 turnovers.
