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Gators Close Season With First Round Loss to Ohio Wesleyan
February 22, 2005
Meadville, Pa. - The Allegheny College Gators Women’s Basketball (18-8, 10-6 NCAC) team ended their season on Tuesday night, as they were defeated by the Ohio Wesleyan Battling Bishops (17-9, 10-6 NCAC) by a score of 57-51, in the NCAC Tournament Quarterfinal.
Gator junior guard Valery Medwid (Coraopolis, Pa./Montour) led the team in scoring with 14 points on 4-8 shooting, 3-7 from behind the arc.
With a score of 7-5 in favor of the Battling Bishops at the 15:44 mark in the first half, the game seemed to have the makings of a defensive struggle, as neither squad could find the bottom of the net with any consistency.
However, Ohio Wesleyan managed to end the first period on a 21-12 run, distancing themselves from the Gators by 11 points with a 28-17 lead as the half ended.
After Medwid’s three started the scoring for the Gators, Allegheny was 0-6 from behind the arc for the rest of the half and did not attempt a foul shot. The Gators, the #4 seed coming into the conference tournament, could not find scoring anywhere in the first half. After hitting three of their first eight shots, Allegheny closed the half making only five of their 18 field goal attempts (28%).
Ohio Wesleyan was led in the first half by senior forward Erica Brizendine, who scored 11 points and grabbed four rebounds.
The Gators and Battling Bishops traded buckets at the outset of the second period, as Ohio Wesleyan was holding onto a 37-29 lead with 12:54 to play. Over the next five minutes, the Gators clamped down on defense and made a 6-2 run, which was capped off by a lay-up from senior forward Jackie Tubo (Altoona, Pa.). With 7:47 left to play, the Battling Bishops held a 39-35 lead, but it seemed as if the Gators had the momentum in their favor.
Unfortunately, a comeback was not in the cards for Allegheny. With 6:07 left in the game, Ohio Wesleyan took three minutes to go on an 8-0 run, fueled by six points from Brizendine. At the 3:10 mark, the Battling Bishops held a commanding 49-36 lead, one in which the Gators could not overcome.
A trio of three-pointers were made by Medwid, sophomore guard Meghan Vasilisin (Munhall, Pa./Oakland Catholic) and sophomore guard Katie Kestler (Pittsburgh, Pa./Mt. Lebanon) to bring the Gators back to within six points, but Ohio Wesleyan’s free throw shooting down the stretch made the difference.
Amanda Nanney hit seven of eight free-throws in the last minute and the Battling Bishops connected on 21-27 (78%) shots from the charity stripe for the game, while the Gators could only manage 7-13 (54%).
Vasilisin scored nine points, grabbed six boards and had three steals in the loss, while junior forward Kristen Lyzen (Brook Park, Ohio/Midpark) sparked the Gators off the bench with seven points and three rebounds.
For the Battling Bishops, Brizendine led the way with 17 points and six rebounds, while guard Kelly Heil notched a double-double with 13 points and 11 boards.