Second Half Shooting The Difference In Gator Win Over Earlham

Feb 25, 2003

After shooting just 28.6 percent in the first half, the Allegheny College women's basketball team hit at a 53.1 percent clip in the second half to pull away from Earlham College, 63-53, in the quarterfinals of the North Coast Athletic Conference tournament at the David Wise Center on Tuesday night. Meredith McDonough (Pittsburgh, Pa./Oakland Catholic) led all scorers with 22 points and added seven rebounds for the 13-13 Gators.

Freshman Courtney Steding (McDonald, Pa./Ft. Cherry) added 13 points, eight boards, five assists and four steals to the Allegheny effort. Sophomore guard Raelynn Miles (McDonald, Pa./Fort Cherry) chipped with eight points and five helpers.

Lindsey Chappell led the Quakers with 16 points and led all players with 14 rebounds.

Allegheny held just a one-point advantage at the break, but they opened the second half with a 12-2 run and led 37-26 just under three minutes into the second stanza. McDonough spurred the Gator run, scoring six of Allegheny's first eight points to open the half.

Allegheny would extend the lead to 15, 55-40, on Steding's jumper with 8:58 left in the game. The Quakers responded with a run of their own, and when Lindsey Chappell hit two foul shots, the Gator lead with just 57-52 with 2:07 left. That was all the closer Earlham would get as Allegheny took the win going away, 63-53.

Earlham's last six points came on free throws as they were held without a field goal for the last 6:32 of regulation. The Gators held Earlham to just 33.3 percent shooting in the game and forced 27 turnovers. Allegheny, had just 15 turnovers and had 20 assists on 27 field goals.

Allegheny will take on Wittenberg, the number-one seed, in the semifinals of the NCAC Tournament on Friday. The Tigers advanced to the semi's with an 86-46 win over Oberlin on Tuesday evening.

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