Lucky Seven: Gators Continue to Roll

Jan 31, 2006

Boxscore

HIRAM, Ohio– The Allegheny College women’s basketball team won its seventh straight game, as it defeated the Terriers of Hiram College, 65-50 tonight in Hiram, Ohio. The victory was the Gators 13th of the season, and ninth in the conference. Senior guard Valery Medwid (Pittsburgh, Pa./Montour) (right) led the team with 16 points, helping drop the Terriers to a 7-10 record, and 2-8 in NCAC play.

Medwid started the game with two free throws en route to her season high 16 points, as the Gators came out strong in the opening minutes, and got off to a 9-0 start. Medwid finished the half with eight points, while junior forward Meghan Vasilisin (Munhall, Pa./Oakland Catholic) scored nine of her 11 points in the first half.

Senior guard Caitlin Murtagh (Bethel Park, Pa./Seton-La Salle) closed the first half with a jumper in the final :04, giving the Gators a 25-20 half-time lead, despite shooting only 27% from the field.

Once again Allegheny came out firing to start the second-half, as Murtagh and Medwid each hit a three in the opening minutes, putting the Gators ahead 31-22. After the Gators took a 13-point lead, Hiram managed to get back within five with 13:05 remaining. The Gators soon pulled away, and within three and a half minutes, regained a double-digit lead, 45-33. Allegheny finished the half outscoring Hiram 40-30, for a 65-50 victory.

The key to the victory was defense. Allegheny forced 20 turnovers, while only committing 13 of their own, and the defense held the Terriers to 36% shooting for the game. Despite being out-rebounded, the Gators hit nine more free-throws than Hiram and got to the line on a more consistent basis than the home team. Allegheny hit 14-18 from the foul line, while Hiram shot 5-7 from the charity stripe.

The Gators never trailed in the game and finished the month of January on a positive note, having won seven straight after a loss on January 7, to Wittenberg 50-63.

The Gators return home to take on the Quakers of Earlham on Friday, February 3 at 6:00 p.m.

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