Philly Women’s College Basketball Week In Review – Games of February 4 – 10

PHILLY COLLEGE SPORTS WOMEN’S BASKETBALL REVIEW

Philly College Sports.com Player of the Week – Hollie Mershon, Drexel

Hollie Mershon was named PhillyCollegeSports.com Player of the Week for the second consecutive week.  The senior guard scored 19 points and 6 assists in both Drexel victories this week.  She was the leading scorer in both games for the Dragons.  The 12 assists for the week gives Mershon a total of 298 for her career.  Mershon also pulled down her 500^th career rebound in the win over Old Dominion.  Mershon averages 18.9 points per game.

PhillyCollegeSports.com Honor Roll –

Shanel Harrison, LaSalle

Chatilla van Grinsven, Saint Joseph’s

Laura Sweeney, Villanova

Victoria Macaulay, Temple

Week of February 4 – February 10, 2013 Games

LA SALLE 7 – 16 Overall, 3 – 5 Atlantic 10, 1 – 2 Big Five

Results – Lost 69 – 49 vs. Fordham at the Gola Arena, Lost 58 – 53 at Xavier

Summary –

Fordham 69 LaSalle 49 – Shanel Harrison and Ebonee Jones have been supplying the scoring for LaSalle since Brittany Wilson has been out with a knee injury.  Harrison score 12 points and Jones 11, but it was not enough as Fordham earned a 20-point win at the Gola Arena.

Xavier 58 LaSalle 53 – The Explorers held a 27 – 21 lead at halftime.  LaSalle stretched the lead to 14 points in the second half.  Xavier responded with a 15 – 2 run to overcome the deficit and come away with a 58 – 53 win.  The Musketeers had a 34 – 14 advantage in Points in the Paint.  LaSalle committed 15 turnovers that led to 19 Xavier points.  The Explorers got only 5 points off 13 Musketeer turnovers.  Shanel Harrison led the Explorers with 17 points and 9 rebounds.  Ebonee Jones scored 15 points and grabbed 6 boards.

Next Game – 2/13/2013 vs. Saint Louis at the Gola Arena

PENN – 10 – 9 Overall, 3 – 2 Ivy League, 1 – 3 Big Five

Results – Lost 65 – 56 at Yale, Won 65 – 48 at Brown

Summary –

Yale 65 Penn 56 – The Red and Blue travelled into Winter Storm Nemo.  The team had to be flexible as to the changes in the game time and venue.  The Lee Amphitheater, Yale’s home gym, was deemed unplayable due to a leaky roof.  The game was moved to the Lanham Center.  When the game finally got underway Penn had a good first two minutes, but the shooting turned as cold as the outside temperature.  The Quakers went 8 minutes without a basket.  Yale took a 15 – 6 lead and built that into a 33 – 22 halftime advantage.  Trailing 47 – 36 with 10 minutes to play Penn mounted an 8 – 0 run to get to within three at 47 – 44 at the 7:24 mark.  A three-point basket by Yale stymied the comeback.  Keiera Ray led the Red and Blue with 13 points.  Yale outrebounded Penn 49 – 28.

Penn 65 Brown 48 – The winter storm caravan continued for Penn.  The team encountered as many challenges as would be found on the Iditarod Run.  But the weekend ended with a 65 – 48 win over Brown on Sunday night in Providence.  Penn got out to an early 14 – 2 lead.  A late charge by Brown made the score 33 – 22 at halftime with Penn in charge.  With 13 minutes to play the Red and Blue ran off a 12 – 0 run to take a 20-point lead.  Brown closed to within 51 – 40 at the 5:41 mark.  Penn answered with a 10 – 0 run that ended the suspense.  Four Penn players scored in double figures.  Alyssa Baron scored 19 points and had a career-high 5 steals.  Katy Allen contributed 14 points.  Keiera Ray had 12 points and Kara Bonenberger put in 10 points.  The Quakers won the rebounding battle 39 – 29, and forced 20 turnovers.

Next Game – 2/15/2013 vs. Harvard at the Palestra

SAINT JOSEPH’S 16 – 6 Overall, 7 – 1 Atlantic 10, 1 – 1 Big Five

Results – Won 55 – 50 at VCU, Lost 71 – 66 vs. Charlotte at the Hagan Arena

Summary –

Saint Joseph’s 55 VCU 50 – The Hawks took to the road and found themselves down by 10 points with a little more than 10 minutes on the clock.  Saint Joe’s mounted a comeback behind a 16 – 6 run.  A jump shot by Chatilla van Grinsven gave the Hawks a 49 – 47 lead with 5:08 to play.  Late in the game VCU got to within a point, but Erin Shields made four free throws down the stretch to provide the winning points.  Shields led the Hawks with 16 points.

Charlotte 71 Saint Joseph’s 66 – The eight game winning streak came to an end for Saint Joseph’s.  The Hawks held a 40 – 32 halftime lead, but could not find the offense in the second half.  SJU shot 31.3% in the second half (10 of 32).  Charlotte started the second half with a 17 – 6 run to take a 49 – 46 lead with 13:38 on the clock.  The Hawks battled back and tied the game at 55 on a three-point play by guard Ashley Prim.  The 49’ers answered back with an 11 – 0 run to take control with just under 5 minutes to play.  The Hawks cut the gap to 68 – 66 on a layup by guard Natasha Cloud with 15 seconds left, but the 49’ers put the game in the win column at the free throw line.  Chatilla van Grinsven scored a game-high 20 points and added 10 rebounds for her ninth double-double of the season.  Erin Shields added 13 points for the Hawks while Cloud scored 12 points and 7 assists.

Next Game – 2/13/2013 at Duquesne

TEMPLE 11 – 12 Overall, 4 – 4 Atlantic 10, 1 – 2 Big Five

Results – Lost 66 – 43 at Charlotte, Won 54 – 50 vs. Saint Louis at McGonigle Hall

Summary –

Charlotte 66 Temple 43 – The Owls were a victim of cold shooting making just 5 of 24 in the second half.  Temple did not make a basket in the final 12 minutes of the game, and was held scoreless over the final 9 minutes.  Victoria Macaulay scored 15 points for the Owls, but she fouled out with just over 5 minutes to play.  Natasha Thames grabbed a career-high 15 rebounds for Temple to go along with 8 points.  Ny Hammons of Charlotte led all scorers with 16 points.

Temple 54 Saint Louis 50 – The game was one of the better tem efforts put forth by the Owls this season.  It was a close game throughout that featured 8 ties and 9 lead changes.  Temple held off Saint Louis over the last minute and a half to get the win and even their Atlantic 10 record at 4 – 4.  Victoria Macaulay led Temple with 16 points and had a career-high 9 blocked shots, the most for any Temple player since the 1982-83 season.  As a team Temple had 13 blocked shots.  Three Owl players scored 11 points each; Sally Kabengano, Natasha Thames, and Megan Roxas.  Thames pulled down a team-high 9 rebounds.  Tyonna Williams handed out 10 assists, and her 2 free throws with 2 seconds remaining provided the final margin of victory.

Next Game – 2/13/2013 vs. Rhode Island at McGonigle Hall

 VILLANOVA 16 – 7 Overall, 5 – 5 Big East, 4 – 0 Big Five

Results – Lost 59 – 52 vs. #2/3 Notre Dame, Lost xx – xx vs. Marquette at the Pavilion

Summary –

#2/3 Notre Dame xx Villanova xx – For the game story see Villanova Women Fall Short Against #2 Notre Dame 59 – 52

Marquette 60 Villanova 56 – In a close encounter with 5 points being the largest lead for either team, Marquette went on a 6 – 0 run to take a 53 – 49 lead with 4:39 to play.  Villanova closed the gap to 55 – 53 but Marquette guard Sarina Simmons made a three-pointer from the top of the key to give her team a 58 – 53 lead with 1:17 on the clock.  Villanova got back to within two points, but could not overcome the Marquette lead.  Laura Sweeney scored a season-high 26 points.  The senior forward has recorded 13 career 20-point games.

Next Game – 2/13/2013 at Seton Hall

DREXEL 16 – 6 Overall, 9 – 2 CAA

Results – Won 62 – 48 at Towson, Won 64 – 50 vs. ODU at the DAC

Summary –

Drexel 62 Towson 48 – The Dragons showed balanced offense in the win at Towson.  Nine of the ten players who were on the floor scored for the Dragons.  Hollie Mershon led the way with 19 points and the senior guard added a game-high 6 assists.  Tory Thierolf set her career-high with 9 points.  Six Drexel players scored at least 6 points.  Drexel shot 47.6% for the game.

Drexel 64 Old Dominion 50 – For the game story see Drexel Sweeps Men’s / Women’s Doubleheader.

Next Game – 2/14/2013 at Hofstra