GREAT DEFENSIVE EFFORT GIVE LADY BEARCATS VICTORY

December 2, 2003

Box

Ashley Bishop scored a career-high 14 points vs. Rockhurst.

BOLIVAR, MO. ... A combination of a tough defense and great shooting led to a 81-36 win for the Southwest Baptist University Lady Bearcats (4-1) over Rockhurst University (0-7). The Lady Bearcats shot 50% from the floor and held RU to just 30% from the floor with 31 turnovers.

Amber Wheeler led SBU with 16 points and was followed by freshman Ashley Bishop with a career high 14 points. Jennifer Clymore added 12 and Gwyn Smith 10. Jenny Hancock was the leading rebounder with nine rebounds.

The Lady Bearcats took a quick 5-0 lead in the first two minutes on buckets from Clymore and Wheeler. RU then scored the next five points to tie the game but another Wheeler three-pointer gave SBU the 8-5 lead as the Lady Bearcats never looked back with 16:56 left in the first half. They slowly slipped away with the lead over the next six minutes as they took a nine-point lead, 22-13. The lead hung around nine to 10 points until the 3:59 mark when SBU's Bishop put the Lady Bearcats up by 12. SBU pushed the lead to 17 on a Smith layup with 1:21 left and then took a 36-21 halftime lead.

Alicia Mercer gave SBU a 20-point lead just one minute into the second half. RU cut it back down to 17, 43-26 at the 17:46 mark on a three-point shot by Jessica Rethman. Over the next 12 minutes, SBU went on a 26-3 run to take full command of the game with a 40-point lead, 69-29. The Lady Bearcats biggest lead was 46 points on a Bishop three-pointer with 1:57 left to play. SBU went on for the 45-point win, 81-36 as nobody scored in the last 1:30.

SBU outrebounded RU, 36-30, and held them to 30% from the floor and 23% from the three-point line.

The Lady Bearcats will be back in action on Tuesday, December 9th, when they host Central Methodist at 7 p.m. in the Davison Field House.