Lady Quakers win season opener

Peters scores 14 for Lady Quakers

|Box Score|

November 18,2005

WILMINGTON, Ohio — Wilmington College outscored University of Pittsburgh-Bradford 26-9 over the final 10 minutes of play to defeat the Panthers 75-55 in first-round play of the Wilmington Inn/Damon¹s Tip-Off Tournament Friday night at Fred Raizk Arena. The Lady Quakers will face Thomas More 4 p.m. Saturday for the tournament title. The Saints defeated Juniata (Pa.) College, 87-62, in Friday¹s first-round nightcap.

For 30 minutes, UPB labored to stay close to the 12th-ranked Lady Quakers, but Wilmington¹s endless stream of substitutions left the outmanned Panthers with an empty tank for what proved to be a one-sided stretch drive.

"They shot the ball real well in the first half, but what we¹re kind of known for is wearing people down as the game goes on," said WC coach Jerry Scheve, who picked up his 288th win. "I looked at the stats at halftime, and they had a couple kids that played 18 or 19 minutes, and we had nobody that played more than 11. We thought we could stay fresher, and I think that kind of proved to be the difference in the end."

Wilmington built a 36-29 lead during a first half that offered flashes of brilliance and moments of season-opening flatness. Though known for their strong frontcourt play, it was Wilmington¹s backcourt that put the numbers up in the first half. Sophomore guard Jackie Hauke (Sardinia/Whiteoak) scored 13 of her game-high 16 points ­ including three three-pointers ­ and senior co-captain Shawna Thomas (Middletown/Middletown) provided a huge spark and eight points off the bench.

"Jackie played well; she didn¹t rush her shots. I think that¹s a big difference for her from last year at this time where she was a little nervous coming into the season. Tonight, she just looked calm and played her game. I just love Shawna¹s attitude to be able to come off the bench, and what she brought to us tonight off the bench is much more important than starting."

The Panthers, thanks to a determined effort and dangerous perimeter shooting, cut the deficit to 49-46 with 9:54 to play, but a Wilmington timeout was followed by a merciless game-ending barrage led by junior co-captain Sam Hood (Lockbourne/Teays Valley), junior post player Kelly Peters (Spencerville/Spencerville), sophomore forward Katie Streck (Dayton/Carroll), Hauke and Thomas.

"Coming down the stretch, there¹s not too many other people I want out there other than Sam Hood. I thought she took control of the game," Scheve said. "We finally got her some shots. We need to get her more shots. She¹s always going to be solid."

Scheve also complimented the play of freshman post Natasha Huckleby (Troy/Troy) and sophomore guard Anne Haky (North Olmsted/Bay Village).

Peters finished with 14 points and seven rebounds, Thomas scored 14 and Streck added 13. Hood scored eight points and handed out eight assists. Wilmington outrebounded UPB 39-32 and forced 22 turnovers while committing just 12 turnovers.