BEREA, OHIO — Senior guard Selena Eskinazi-Budge (Beachwood) scored 15 points tonight (Wednesday, February 27, 2008) as the ninth-ranked Baldwin-Wallace College women’s basketball team defeated Heidelberg College, 58-55, in the Rudolph Ursprung Gymnasium of the Lou Higgins Center in Berea in a first round Ohio Athletic Conference Tournament game. The victory was B-W’s season-high 11th straight, its 22th in a row versus the Student Princes and advanced the Yellow Jackets into an OAC Tournament semifinal game on Thursday, Feb. 28 in Berea at 7:30 p.m.
With its victory, B-W is 24-2 overall and has not lost since January 16, 2008. The Yellow Jackets advance to play the winner of the Capital University at Otterbein College game in the semifinals. The winner receives the OAC’s automatic berth in this year’s NCAA Division III National Tournament. With its loss, Heidelberg ends its season at 11-15 overall.
In the first half, the Yellow Jackets jumped out to a 2-0 lead at the 18:18 mark when Budge scored on a layup. B-W built its lead to 7-3 and then 9-5 with 16:11 left when sophomore forward Sasha Samara (Amherst/ Steele) scored on a layup. Then Heidelberg went on a 17-6 run to take its largest lead of seven points at 22-15 with 6:10 left when junior guard Morgan Harrigan made a three-pointer. B-W then went on a 9-1 run to retake the lead at 24-23 at the 3:34 mark when junior two-time All-OAC guard Amanda Mondrach (Parma/ Parma Heights Holy Name) made a three-pointer. B-W also led at halftime, 30-28.
In the second half, B-W opened with a 8-4 run to take its largest lead of the game at eight points at 40-32 with 15:49 left when senior forward Carly Flowers (North Baltimore) made a jump shot. Heidelberg then went on a 13-5 run to tie the score at 45-45 when senior guard Amanda Campbell made a three-pointer with 11:25 remaining.
After B-W went on a 6-0 run to take a 51-45 lead with 9:06 left when junior guard Rachael Quiring (Brunswick/ Holy Name) made a layup, Heidelberg countered with its own 8-2 run to tie it at 53-53 with 6:05 left when sophomore forward Stacey Richard made a layup. After it was tied at 55-55, Budge gave B-W a 57-55 advantage with 1:52 left when she made a 10-foot baseline jumper. A foul shot by junior guard Jessica Butzer (Orrville) gave B-W a three-point advantage at 58-55 with seven seconds remaining. Butzer’s second foul shot missed and Heidelberg junior guard Brittant Skolnicki’s three-pointer at the buzzer to tie the game fell short.
In addition to Budge for B-W, Mondrach scored 13 points and sophomore center Ariel Brough (Powell/ Olentangy Liberty) had a game-high 12 rebounds. For Heidelberg, Campbell led the way with 18 points, Richard had 15 and Skolnicki had 14.
Yellow Jacket fans are reminded that they can listen to all B-W men’s and women’s basketball games on campus radio station WBWC, 88.3 FM, or via the Internet at www.wbwc.com. Thursday's game is available both on radio and the Internet.
FOR MORE INFORMATION , please contact B-W Sports Information Director Kevin Ruple by telephone at 440-826-2327, by FAX machine at 440-826-2329 or via e-mail at kruple@bw.edu .To contact Head Coach Cheri Harrer , please call her in her office at 440-826-3299 or e-mail her at charrer@bw.edu . You can get all of the latest B-W athletics information by visiting our Web site at www.bw.edu/athletics. For all of the latest OAC information, please call the OAC Office at 330-259-9090 or log onto the OAC Web site at www.oac.org.
Game Notes #26 HOST Heidelberg College in OAC Tournament Quaterfinals
The Baldwin-Wallace College women's basketball team hosts Ohio Athletic Conference rival Heidelberg College on Tuesday, February 26, 2008 in the Rudolph Ursprung Gymnasium in Berea, Ohio at 7:30 p.m. This is the first round of the OAC Tournament and the third game of this season against the Student Princes. The winner advances to play in the OAC semifinals on Thursday, February 28.
RADIO -- All Yellow Jacket women's basketball games, home and away, are broadcast by campus radio station WBWC, 88.3 FM, and via the WBWC Internet Web site at www.wbwc.com. The pregame show generally begins at least 15 minutes prior to tipoff.
BALDWIN-WALLACE COLLEGE
LOCATION: Berea, Ohio
NICKNAME: Yellow Jackets
CONFERENCE: Ohio Athletic
2007-2008 RECORD: 23-2
OAC RECORD: 16-2
LAST GAME: Beat Marietta, 72-49, on Feb. 23 in Berea, Ohio
HEAD COACH: Cheri Harrer
B-W RECORD: 370-128
YEAR AT B-W: 18th
CAREER RECORD: same
LAST MEETING: B-W won, 79-61, on Feb. 5, 2008 in Tiffin, Ohio.
SERIES STREAK: B-W, 11 straight games
SERIES BEGAN: 1965-66, B-W won, 59-37
SERIES RECORD: B-W leads, 41-22
NEXT GAME: Feb. 26: HOST winner of Capital versus Otterbein game in the semifinals of the OAC Tournament at 7:30 p.m.
HEIDELBERG COLLEGE
LOCATION: Tiffin, Ohio
NICKNAME: Student Princes
CONFERENCE: Ohio Athletic
2007-2008 RECORD: 11-14
OAC RECORD: 6-12
LAST GAME: Beat Muskingum, 71-59, on Feb. 23 in Tiffin, Ohio
HEAD COACH: Karen McConnell
SCHOOL RECORD: 20th
CAREER RECORD: same as above
The Pregame Setup -- -- The 10th-ranked (Women's Basketball Coaches' Association) and Ohio Athletic Conference regular season champion Baldwin-Wallace College women's basketball team will look to continue its winning ways when it hosts Heidelberg College in the first round of the 2008 OAC Tournament. The winner of this game advances to Thursday's semifinals.
The Yellow Jackets enter this game with a 23-2 overall record and won their seventh OAC regular season title in the past 10 years by compiling a 16-2 mark. In its last game, B-W defeated Marietta College, 72-49, on Saturday, Feb. 23 in Berea for its 10th straight victory and 29th in a row against the Pioneers.
The Student Princes enter this game with a 11-14 overall record and finished eighth during the OAC regular season with a 6-12 slate. Heidelberg last played on Saturday (Feb. 23) when it beat Muskingum College, 71-59, in Tiffin. The Student Princes have won two of their last three games.
The B-W Versus Heidelberg All-Time Series -- This is the 64th meeting in women's basketball between B-W and Heidelberg. B-W leads the all-time series, 41-22, including wins in the last 11 games. Earlier this season, B-W beat Heidelberg, 84-59, on Jan. 4, 2008 in Berea and again won in Tiffin, 79-61, on Feb. 5. The last Heidelberg victory came on Jan. 20, 2004 when the Student Princes defeated the Yellow Jackets, 82-64, in Tiffin. The two teams met in the first round of the OAC Tournament during the 2005-2006 season in which B-W won 80-47, and during the 2003-2004 campaign when B-W won 84-48. The first-ever meeting was during the 1981-82 season when B-W won, 71-48.
In This Year's First B-W versus Heidelberg Game on Jan. 4 in Berea: B-W -- 84, Heidelberg -- 59 -- In the first regular season meeting between B-W and Heidelberg, on Jan. 4, 2008 in Ursprung Gymnasium in Berea, the Yellow Jackets defeated the Student Princes, 84-59. B-W was led by 5' 8" senior ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District IV guard Selena Eskinazi-Budge (Beachwood) who scored 15 points on six-of-eight shooting. 6' 2" sophomore ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District IV center Ariel Brough (Powell/ Olentangy) scored 12 points and 5' 11" freshman guard/forward Amanda Schroeder (Columbus Grove) tallied ten points. Heidelberg was led by senior Amanda Campbell who scored 13 points. Keys to the Yellow Jacket victory were shooting 62.3 percent (33-of-53) overall and committing just 11 turnovers.
In This Year's Second B-W versus Heidelberg Game on Feb. 5 in Tiffin: B-W -- 79, Heidelberg -- 61 -- In the second regular season meeting between B-W and Heidelberg, on Feb. 5, 2008 in Seiberling Gymnasium in Tiffin, the Yellow Jackets defeated the Student Princes, 79-61. B-W was led by Amanda Schroeder with 14 points on six-of-seven shooting, including two-of-three from three-point range. In addition, 5' 8" junior All-OAC guard Amanda Mondrach (Parma/ Parma Heights Holy Name) scored 13 points. Heidelberg was led by junior Brittany Skolnicki who scored 14 points and recorded her 1,000th career point during the game. Keys to the Yellow Jacket victory were shooting 58.3 percent (28-of-48) overall from the floor.
B-W Information and Probable Starters -- As a team, B-W scores 69.8 points per game and allows 55.1 ppg. to its opponents for a plus-14.7 ppg. differential. The Yellow Jackets grab 41.9 rpg. and allow 34.2 rpg. for a plus-7.7 differential. B-W shoots 43.2 percent overall (654-of-1,513), including 34.3 percent (95-of-277) from three-point range, and 66.1 percent (343-of-519) from the free throw line.
Look for Head Coach Cheri Harrer to start Amanda Mondrach, 5' 6" junior point guard Rachael Quiring (Brunswick/ Parma Heights Holy Name) and Selena Eskinazi-Budge in the backcourt. On the inside, look for 5' 8" senior forward Stacia Shrider (Marietta/ Warren Local) and Ariel Brough to start. Eskinazi-Budge scores a team-best 10.6 ppg., grabs 4.1 rpg. and leads in steals with 41. She also is second with 25 blocked shots and has 15 assists. Mondrach, the 2005-2006 OAC Co-Freshman of the Year and two-time All-OAC pick, scores 8.2 ppg., grabs 3.3 rpg., has a team-leading 25 three-pointers and has 43 assists. Brough scores 7.3 ppg., is second with 5.8 rpg. and tops the team with a single-season school-record 48 blocked shots. Quiring scores 7.2 ppg., has 13 three-pointers and has a team-leading 52 assists. Shrider scores 5.0 ppg. and tops the team with 6.9 rpg. She also has 41 assists and 22 steals.
Off the bench, look for Harrer to use 5' 11" senior foward Carly Flowers (North Baltimore), 5' 6" junior point guard Jessica Butzer (Orrville), 5' 10" sophomore forward Sasha Samara (Amherst/ Marion Steele), 5' 10" sophomore forward Serena Farage (Medina/ Buckeye), Amanda Schroeder and 5' 7" freshman guards and twin sisters Carrie and Courtney Ritzler (Fostoria/Hopewell-Loudon). Schroeder leads the bench in scoring with 7.0 ppg., grabs 2.7 rpg. and has 16 three-pointers. Flowers scores 6.8 ppg., grabs 4.6 rpg. and has 30 assists and 27 steals. Courtney Ritzler scores 6.0 ppg., grabs 2.2 rpg., has canned 23 three-pointers and has 34 assists and 27 steals. Samara scores 4.2 ppg. and grabs 3.5 rpg. and shoots a 54.9% from the field. Farage scores 3.5 ppg. and grabs 2.0 rpg. Butzer has played in 13 games since returning from a preseason injury and scores 2.8 ppg. and has 14 assists. Carrie Ritzler scores 1.8 ppg., has nine three-pointers, 35 assists and 17 steals.
In B-W's Last Game versus Marietta College on Feb. 23 in Berea: B-W -- 72, Marietta -- 49 -- In B-W's last game, a 72-49 win against OAC rival Marietta College on Feb. 23 in Ursprung Gymnasium in Berea, B-W was led by Selena Eskinazi-Budge with 13 points. In addition, Courtney Ritzler scored 11 points and Amanda Mondrach had 10. Keys to the Yellow Jacket win were outrebounding the Pioneers, 54-28.
Scouting the Heidelberg Student Princes -- As a team, Heidelberg averages 60.8 ppg. and allows 61.0 ppg. to its opponents for a minus-0.2 ppg. differential. The Student Princes grab 36.2 rpg. and allow 36.4 rpg. for a minus-0.2 differential. Heidelberg shoots 36.2% from the field (545-of-1,506), including 29.0% from three point range (139-of-480), and makes 72.3% of its foul shots (292-of-404).
Look for Head Coach Karen McConnell to start 5' 8" junior guard Brittany Skolnicki, 5' 6" junior guard Morgan Harrigan, 5' 6" senior guard Amanda Campbell in the backcourt and 6' 0" sophomore forward Stacey Richard and 5' 11" freshman forward Jenny Miller. To date, Skolnicki leads the team in scoring at 14.1 ppg. and is third in both rebounding with 5.3 rpg and assists with 52. Campbell is second in points per game as she averages 13.0 ppg. She is also first in rebouding at 7.1 rpg and steals with 51. Richard is fourth third in scoring at 7.1 and averages 4.1 rpg. Miller scores 5.7 ppg and is second on the team in rebounding at 5.9 rpg. Harrigan rounds out the starting five by scoring 3.0 ppg., grabbing 2.0 rpg. and is second with 32 three pointers.
Off the bench, look for 5' 6" sophomore guard Jessica Jennette, 5' 10" senior guard Maureen Hunter, 5' 10" Sarah Kesse, and 5' 10" senior forward Hollie Knott. Hunter is third on the team in scoring with 7.4 ppg. and she is first on the team in assists with 63 and in blocks with 16. Knott scores 3.0.
In Heidelberg's Last Game versus Muskingum College on Feb. 23 in Tiffin: Heidelberg -- 71, Muskingum -- 59 -- In Heidelberg's last game, a 71-59 win over Muskingum College on February 23 in Seiberling Gymnasium in Tiffin, Brittnay Skolnicki scored a team-high 19 points. In addition, Stacey Richard had 16 points, Jenny Miller 15 points and a team-high nine rebounds, and Amanda Campbell had 12.
Yellow Jacket Chatter
The Division III National Polls -- B-W was ranked 10th nationally in last week's WBCA/ USA TODAY Division III Coaches poll and 13th in the d3hoops.com Internet Web site Division III poll (both released on Feb. 19). The polls are released usually the Tuesday of each week.
Second NCAA Division III Regional Poll (on Feb. 14) -- In the second weekly NCAA Division III Great Lakes Region poll (Feb. 21, 2008), B-W (21-2 overall/ 21-2 region record) is ranked fourth and behind No.1 Thomas More (Ky.) College, No.2 Hope (Mich.) College and No.3 DePauw (Ind.) University.
Cheri Harrer is the Winningest Women's Coach in B-W History -- Yellow Jacket veteran Head Coach Cheri Harrer is the winningest women's basketball coach in B-W history with 370 victories. Harrer is 370-128 in her career for a .743 winning percentage.
Ariel Brough Breaks Single-Season and Career Blocked Shots Records -- With her five blocked shots against Muskingum on- Saturday, Feb. 16, Ariel Brough broke the B-W's career record for blocked shots and now has 79 overall, including a school singleseason record of 48 this season.
B-W versus Heidelberg Ohio Athletic Conference Tournament History -- B-W and Heidelberg have met in the Ohio Athletic Conference Tournament six times since the 1992-1993 season and the Yellow Jackets hold a 5-1 advantage in post-season play. Heidelberg won in 1993 by a 78-61 margin, but the Yellow Jackets have won the past five tournament games, 75-57 (1994), 71-61 (2001), 65-58 (2003), 84-58 (2004), and 80-47 (2006).
Budge and Brough Named to the ESPN THE MAGAZINE Academic All-District IV First Team -- Selena Eskinazi-Budge, who carries a 3.86 grade point average in pre-physical therapy), and Ariel Brough, who carries a 3.93 grade average in political science, each were named to the ESPN THE MAGAZINE College Division Academic All-District IV team and now qualify for the national ESPN THE MAGAZINE Academic All-America ballot.
All Five Starters will be Nominated for Academic All-OAC -- Both Selena Eskinazi-Budge and Ariel Brough are joined by senior forward Stacia Shrider, junior two-time All-OAC guard Amanda Mondrach and junior point guard Rachael Quiring as candidates for Academic All-OAC accolades.
Catch More Coverage of Yellow Jackets' Basketball on Campus Radio Station 88.3 FM "The Sting" -- Every Tuesday at 8:30 p.m., you can tune into campus radio station WBWC, 88.3 FM, for more coverage of Yellow Jacket basketball. Sports Director Andrew Middleman and the WBWC sports team will be joined by Men's Basketball Head Coach Steve Bankson and Women's Basketball Head Coach Cheri Harrer to recap the previous week and preview the upcoming week's schedule.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, Please visit the Baldwin-Wallace Athletics website at www.bw.edu/athletics for up to date results and statistics. For further inquiries, please contact B-W SID Kevin Ruple by phone at (440) 826-2327, by FAX at (440) 826-2329 or via e-mail at kruple@bw.edu. B-W Head Coach Cheri Harrer can be reached by phone at (440) 826-3299, by FAX at (440) 826-2192 or via e-mail at charrer@bw.edu.
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