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02.15.06
- After finally breaking
into the NAIA’s Top 25, the 24th-ranked Foresters closed
out the regular season with an impressive 76-68 win on Senior Night
over the Bethel College Pilots. Both teams were riding a five-game
win streak entering the contest and both needed wins to solidify
their position in the conference standings. The score went back and
forth early until the Foresters finally put together an 8-1 run
mid-way through the half to take a 22-14 lead. A jumper by Jessica
Ramey at the 5:37 mark gave HU a 30-20 lead, but then the wheels
fell off. Bethel changed to zone defense effectively disrupting the
Foresters’ offensive rhythm. The momentum began to shift and the
Pilots took advantage with 17 unanswered points. A Ramey jumper in
the paint with 17 ticks left in the half finally ended the
Foresters’ scoring drought, but two free throws by Abby Noll gave
the Pilots a 39-32 lead at the break.
Natalie Young
pushed the margin to nine with a jumper to start the second stanza,
but the Forester defense finally began to show signs of life. By
the 13:49 mark, HU had erased the deficit and knotted it at 46-46 on
a free throw by Amy Wanemacher. After trading baskets, the
Foresters began to get their running game back in gear and sprinted
to a 10-point lead at 60-50 with 8:26 to play. A lay-up by Young
stopped the bleeding momentarily, but an 8-0 run capped off by a
Kendra Stahl trey gave HU its largest lead of the game at 68-52 with
6:15 on the clock. The Pilots picked up their defensively intensity
and got back within eight on two free throws from Dana Roberts with
24 seconds left, but Betsey Bean and Ramey each knocked down two
charity tosses to seal the win.
The Foresters had a
trio of double digit scorers with Amy Berry leading the way with
24. Ramey contributed her third double-double of the season with 18
points and 10 assists, and Stahl finished with 10 points. Bethel’s
Young lead all scorers’ in the game with 30 points. HU
out-rebounded the conference rebounding leaders 37-31, including
16-10 on the offensive glass, and the Foresters committed just 13
turnovers to 18 for the Pilots. With the win, the women conclude
their regular season with a 17-10 record and earn the second seed in
the upcoming MCC tournament with their 12-4 record in conference
play. The women will host Spring Arbor University in the first
round of the conference tournament on Tuesday, February 21 at 7:00
p.m.
Box Score |
