CSR (Women's Basketball Falls To Hope in MIAA Tournament Championship Game)

CALVIN SPORTS REPORT FOR SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2006 (Part One)

Knights Fall in MIAA Tournament Championship Game To Hope - Await Possible NCAA Bid

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
(Written by Annalise VenHuizen '08)

HOLLAND, MI * In the women's side of the two MIAA Tournament Championship contests between Hope and Calvin today, the Flying Dutch battled their way to a 63-44 win, a score that is no indication of the actual unfolding of the game. Hope (27-1), ranked 7th in the latest D3hoops.com Top-25 poll, receives an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament, while 14th-ranked Calvin (23-4) awaits a possible at-large entry.

The Knights had an answer for every made Hope shot in the first half, as the game was tied five times and the lead exchanged hands eight times. Neither team leading by more than four points*when a three-pointer by freshman Kristi Brummel (Byron Center/South Christian) gave the Knights an early 10-6 advantage. Calvin sophomore Lindsey Peuler (Grandville/Grandville) collected eight first-half points, including two three pointers, to keep the Knights in close contention with Hope. In addition, Calvin held its latest lead in the half with under two minutes to play when freshman Jennifer DeFauw (Harper Woods/Grosse Point North) nailed a jumper to put the Knights up 22-21. Hope's Ellen Wood closed out the half with three points to give Hope a slim 24-22 half-time lead.

This two-point lead marked the tightest half of this season's Hope-Calvin contests, as previous games saw Hope holding an 11-point lead at Hope (February 11th) and a 5-point lead at Calvin (January 14th) at half-time.

Freshman Marcia Harris (Grand Rapids/Grand Rapids Christian) tied the game for the seventh time, 24-24, making a jumper right out of the gate to start the second half. Junior Lisa Winkle (Grand Rapids/South Christian) kept the Knights in the game, scoring matching six Hope points over the next five minutes; her third jumper of that time frame tied the game up again at 30-30. A quick defensive rebound and a made jumper by sophomore Erica Boonstra (Crestwood, IL/Chicago Christian) gave Calvin its first second-half lead, 32-30, with over 14:30 left to play. The scoring was back-and-forth for the next three minutes, becoming tied three times: at 32, 34, and 36.

However, with just over nine minutes left in the half, Hope gained a five-point lead, 42-37, with a boost from two consecutive field goals by Ellen Wood. Calvin proved it was still in the game, twice reducing the gap to two points, including a 44-42 deficit at 6:21 when sophomore Charis Larson (Grand Rapids/Grand Rapids Christian) made a jumper. That shot was the last Calvin, being fatigued from sticking so close to Hope for over three-fourths of the game, saw for the next 5:30 as Hope embarked on a 17-0 run that included eight made free-throws. Boonstra broke the scoring drought with just under a minute to play, but time ran out, preventing any come-back for the Knights. In the last seconds, Hope scored another two points to gain a 63-44 victory and the MIAA Tournament crown.

Despite Calvin's commendable efforts against one of the best teams in the nation, Hope out-rebounded Calvin 40-29, including 14-7 on offensive rebounds. The Dutch also capitalized on Calvin's turnovers by scoring 20 points off of Calvin's 27 turnovers.

Leading Calvin in defeat were Lisa Winkle with 12 points and 11 boards, Peuler with eight points, and Brummel with five points. Lisa Winkle's effort marked her 29th collegiate double-double.

Hope's leading scorers were Jordyn Boles with 12 points, Bria Ebels and Ellen Wood with 11 points a piece and Wood adding 12 rebounds, and Julie Henderson and Linda Ebels with nine points each and Ebels with nine rebounds.

Calvin now awaits news from the NCAA Division III board; the picks will be announced late Sunday evening while the brackets will be released on Monday morning.

Jeff Febus
Sports Information Director
Calvin College
(616) 526-6169 Office
(616) 526-8551 Fax
Received on Sat Feb 25 20:31:00 2006