SHOOTING WOES DOWN SBU AGAINST #9 WASHBURN

January 20, 2003

Box

Freshman Jen Turpin picked up her first career block vs. Washburn.

BOLIVAR, MO. ...The #9 Washburn University Lady Blues (15-2/5-2) combined great shooting and a tough defense as they came away with a 22-point win over Southwest Baptist University (11-5/3-4), 63-41. WU shot 54% from three-point range and forced 20 SBU turnovers. They also held SBU to jsut 36% shooting from the floor.

Nobody from the Lady Bearcats recorded double figures. Alicia Mercer was the leading scorer with nine points while Gwyn Smith had six rebounds. Lora Westling had 15 points for WU and Carla Sintra recorded nine rebounds.

After SBU hit the opening bucket to take a 2-0 lead, WU put on a 9-3 run to take a four-point lead, 9-5, with 17:46 to go in the half. The Lady Bearcats kept within four for the next four minutes before WU scored on their next two possessions, in which one was a steal, for an eight-point lead, 17-9. Hitting their next five of six free throws added with a layup by Mercer, SBU cut the lead to one, 17-16, on a 7-0 run.

SBU could not grab the lead as they had three chances to over a two minute span. WU then took advantage of an SBU turnover to take a three-point lead and start a 13-2 run over six minutes. WU's Westling gave WU a 12-point advantage, 30-18, with 00:53 left in the half. Amber Wheeler ended SBU's eight minute dry spell with a bucket just before half to bring the halftime score to 30-20. WU had 10 fast break points off of SBU turnovers in the first half.

A 12-2 run started the second half for WU as they extended their lead to 20-points in the first five minutes, 42-22. Two straight layups from Jenny Miller and Jenny Hancock put SBU within 16 with 14:29 to go. WU's Erin Menard answered quickley with a three-pointer to put the lead back at 19 and a Montoya Whitfield jumper a mintue later put WU up by 21, 47-26. SBU never got the lead under 17 again. WU had a 25-point lead with 00:08 left to go before SBU's Rebekah Douchant canned a three-pointer at the buzzer to make the final score, 63-41.

The shooting woes bugged SBU in the second half as they only made one bucket in the final seven minutes, which was the three-pointer at the buzzer. With 7:42 to go in the game, Mercer nailed a layup to give SBU 36 points. The rest of the points came on free throw by Mercer and Douchant's three-pointer.

WU shot a firey 54% from three-point range and out rebounded SBU, 30-26. They also recorded 10 steals to SBU's four.

SBU will look to get back on the winning track when they host Missouri Western at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, January 24th in the Davison Field House.