PHILLY COLLEGE SPORTS WOMEN’S BASKETBALL REVIEW
Philly College Sports.com Players of the Week – Laura Sweeney, Villanova and Hollie Mershon, Drexel
Laura Sweeney recorded a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds in narrow loss against St. John’s. The senior forward followed by playing all 52 minutes scoring a career-high 29 points and grabbing 8 rebounds in a triple overtime win at Syracuse. Sweeney shot 11 – 20 from the floor, and was 2 of 7 from beyond the arc. On Senior Night Sweeney scored 15 points and was credited with 8 rebounds. Over the three games Sweeney blocked 9 shots.
Hollie Mershon had an incredible scoring spree scoring averaging 26 points per game, 23 vs. Georgia State, 26 against Delaware, and 27 against James Madison. Mershon’s best performances were against the top two seeds in the upcoming CAA Tournament, 26 against Delaware on the road and 27 on James Madison on Senior Night.
PhillyCollegeSports.com Honor Roll –
Shanel Harrison, LaSalle
Victoria Macaulay, Temple
Chatilla van Grinsven, Saint Joseph’s
Erin Shields, Saint Joseph’s
Brianna Bradford, Penn
Rachel Roberts, Villanova
Week of February 25 – March 6, 2013 Games
LA SALLE 8 – 21 Overall, 4 – 10 Atlantic 10, 1 – 3 Big Five
Results – Lost 54 – 46 vs. Duquesne at the Gola Arena, Lost 71 – 58 at Saint Bonaventure
Summary –
Duquesne 54 LaSalle 46 – The Explorers trailed 29 – 15 at halftime. The second half was different as LaSalle outscored Duquesne 31 – 25, but fell in the Gola Arena season finale. Shanel Harrison recorded 10 points and 15 rebounds for a double-double. Guard Jordan Mosley scored a game-high 13 points, and Ebonee Jones added 11.
Saint Bonaventure 71 LaSalle 58 – Forward Shanel Harrison finished her career with another double-double with 22 points and 11 rebounds. Ebonee Jones scored 13 points while Jordan Mosley contributed 10. That would not erase 18 points each from Doris Ortega and Alaina Walker of the Bonnies. SBU outscored LaSalle 12 – 4 down the stretch to win the season concluding game for each team.
Next Game – Season concluded
PENN – 15 – 10 Overall, 8 – 3 Ivy League, 1 – 3 Big Five
Results – Won 55 – 45 at Dartmouth, Lost 67 – 54 at Harvard
Summary –
Penn 55 Dartmouth 45 – With the win Penn clinched their first winning season since 2004-05. Senior guard Brianna Bradford led the effort with a career-high 17 points. The Red and Blue took the lead at halftime and never trailed in the second half. Guard Alyssa Baron scored 14 points. Guard Keiera Ray added 13 points while Kara Bonenberger took down 15 rebounds.
Harvard 67 Penn 54 – The six-game winning streak came to an end as Harvard avenged an earlier defeat at the Palestra. The Crimson went out to a 20-point lead at 33 – 13 with 1:23 remaining in the first half. Penn mounted a comeback in the second half. An 11 – 3 Quaker spurt closed the gap to 42 – 36 at the 12:32 mark. But the Red and Blue would get no closer. Four Quaker player recorded double figures. Keiera Ray led the team with 14 points and added 6 steals. Alyssa Baron scored 13 points. Kara Bonenberger scored 10, and Brianna Bradford capped her weekend with 11 points.
Next Game – 3/8/2013 vs. Brown at the Palestra
SAINT JOSEPH’S 20 – 8 Overall, 11 – 3 Atlantic 10, 3 – 1 Big Five
Results – Won 87 – 50 vs. Massachusetts, Lost 73 – 66 at Dayton
Summary –
Saint Joseph’s 87 Massachusetts 50 – It was a big night for the Saint Joe’s senior class in their final regular season home game. The Hawks got a combined 42 points from center Chatilla van Grinsven, Mireia Vila, Ashley Prim, and Shelby Smith in the rout of Massachusetts. SJU scored the first 13 points of the game and led 50 -25 at halftime. UMass would get no closer than that halftime deficit. Leading the way for Saint Joe’s was van Grinsven with 21 points and 12 rebound for her third straight double-double, the 14 this season. Forward Ilze Gotfrida scored 13 points. All 11 Hawk players scored in the game.
Dayton 73 Saint Joseph’s 66 – The Hawks trailed by 18 points in the second half. A furious SJU rally cut the lead to 5-points at 65 – 60 with 1:51 to play. Dayton would make 7 of 8 free throws to close it out. The charge was led by junior guard Erin Shields who ignited a 17 – 4 run. Shield scored a career-high 28 points to lead her team. Guard Natasha Cloud added 17 points.
Next Game – 3/9/2013 Atlantic 10 Tournament Quarter Final as the #4 Seed
TEMPLE 12 – 17 Overall, 5 – 9 Atlantic 10, 1 – 3 Big Five
Results – Lost 59 – 55 at Butler, Lost 58 – 44 vs. Fordham at McGonigle Hall
Summary –
Butler 59 Temple 55 – It was an impressive performance by senior forward Victoria Macaulay who recorded a double-double with 21 points and 14 rebounds, while handing out 4 assists and 5 blocked shots. However, the Butler Bulldogs pulled away late with an 8 – 0 run and held off the Owls. Temple out rebounded Butler 51 – 35. The Cherry and White led 50 – 49 with 3:21 to play before the final Butler run. Rateska Brown scored 12 points all on 3-point baskets. Forward Natasha Thames took down 10 rebounds.
Fordham 58 Temple 44 – Victoria Macaulay, the lone Temple honoree on Senior Day, scored 18 points and added 9 rebounds, but the Cherry and White fell to Fordham and will enter the Atlantic Tournament as the 10th seed. The Owls got to within 5 at the 14:55 mark, but went scoreless for the next 5 minutes as Fordham built a 50 – 37 lead. It was the fifth straight loss for Temple. Sophomore guard Sally Kabengano scored 10 points and was credited with a career-high 8 assists.
Next Game – 3/8/2013 Atlantic 10 First Round #10 Seed
VILLANOVA 20 – 9 Overall, 9 – 7 Big East, 4 – 0 Big Five
Results – Lost 52 – 49 vs. St. John’s at the Pavilion, Won 77 – 75 (3 OT) at #22 Syracuse, Won 72 – 38 vs. Providence at the Pavilion
Summary –
St. John’s 52 Villanova 49 – To read the story visit Late St. John’s Rally Nips Villanova 52 – 49
Villanova 77 #22 Syracuse 75 (3 OT) – It took three overtime periods before Villanova would claim an upset of Syracuse and a sweep of the season series. Senior forward Laura Sweeney played all 52 minutes and scored 29 points (both career-high marks) shooting 11 – 20 and 2 of 7 from beyond the arc. Sweeney pulled down 8 rebounds. Fellow senior Rachel Roberts tallied 20 points, her second 20-point game, making 6 three-pointers. Junior guard Devon Kane tied the game in regulation on a layup with 1.4 seconds on the clock. Syracuse sent the game into a second overtime when Carmen Tyson-Thomas buried a three-pointer with 13 seconds on the clock. Roberts kept the game alive in the second overtime with a three-pointer tying the game at 67. Villanova took control in the 3rd overtime. Syracuse charged back. Trailing by two-points Syracuse Rachel Coffey launched a three at the buzzer that was short.
Villanova 72 Providence 38 – The Wildcats reached the 20 win plateau for the first time since the 2005-06 season with a win over the Friars on Senior Night. Villanova raced to a 16 – 2 lead as Providence missed their first 15 shots. The Blue and White put the game away in the second half behind a 19 – 6 run the first seven minutes to lead by 30 points. Rachel Roberts, senior honoree, scored 16 points and had 5 assists. Laura Sweeney, also a senior, scored 15 points and pulled down 8 rebounds. Junior forward Lauren Bradford scored 11 points.
Next Game – 3/9/2013 Big East Quarterfinal as the #6 Seed
DREXEL 20 – 9 Overall, 13 – 4 CAA
Results – Won 58 – 49 at Georgia State, Lost 62 – 57 at #18 Delaware, Lost 62 – 53 vs. James Madison at the DAC
Summary –
Drexel 58 Georgia State 49 – A 17 – 0 run early in the second half built an 18-point lead for the Dragons who won their final conference game at Georgia State. Senior guard Renee Johnson-Allen paced Drexel with her first double-double scoring 10 points and pulling down 12 rebounds. Senior guard Hollie Mershon led all scorers with 23 points, and freshman guard Meghan Creighton added 12 points. With the win Drexel recorded their fourth 20-Win season in school history.
#18 Delaware 62 Drexel 57 – To read the story visit Drexel Rally Falls Just Short At #18 Delaware
James Madison 62 Drexel 53 – The Dragons lost their regular season final game against James Madison, and as a result will get the third seed in the upcoming CAA Tournament. Senior Hollie Mershon continued her hot shooting as she tallied a game-high 27 points. Fellow senior forward Taylor Wootton also scored in double figures with 12 points.
Next Game – 3/9/2013 CAA Tournament Quarterfinal #3 Seed
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