Team starts National Title Defense with 22-point victory

[Box Score]

November 19, 2004

WILMINGTON – The Wilmington College Lady Quakers began the defense of their National Title with a convincing 72-50 victory over the Beavers of Bluffton University in the second game of the Damon’s/Wilmington Inn Tip-Off Tournament.

The Lady Quakers started strong, jumping out to a 15-3 lead in the first five minutes, cruising to a 28-point, 42-14 halftime lead.

In the second half the Beavers came out firing, scoring the first six points of the period, cutting the margin to 22, but that would be as close as they would come, as a late run in the game cut the final deficit to 22 at 72-50.

Siobhan Zerilla (Cincinnati/Mercy) and Courtney Balser (Pleasant Plain/Little Miami) each scored 11 points to lead the team while Kelly Peters (Spencerville/Spencerville) added nine in a game that saw 14 different Lady Quakers find the scoring column. Zerilla pulled down 14 rebounds in leading the team to a 10-rebound advantage (53-43) in the game. Sophomore point guard Sam Hood (Lockbourne/Teays Valley) dished out a game-high seven assists while Peters and Amy Eichner (Johnstown/Johnstown-Monroe) had four and three steals apiece.

Bluffton was led by Tanya Rickenberg who scored 11 points while Ashleigh Stallkamp put in 10 points. Lindsay Bush pulled down six rebounds in the losing effort.

With the win the Lady Quakers improve to 1-0 on the season and increase their Division III best winning streak to 11 games. Bluffton falls to 0-1 on the year.