The Roberts Wesleyan College women's basketball team (6-4, 1- 1 AMC) lost 75-46 to nationally ranked Shawnee State University (7-3) on December 10, 2011. The game was their first of two in the Shawnee State Classic held at Shawnee's home court in Portsmouth, Ohio that weekend.
The Bears were in control of the game from the tip, breaking out to a 20-7 run in the first 10 minutes, 8 of their points coming from Jill Cropper. They pushed to a 30-12 lead with 6 minutes and 42 seconds left in the first half. The Raiders ended the half on a 10-7 run, trailing 37-22 at the buzzer.
The Roberts' women closed the deficit to 10 points with 17.33 remaining in the second half after a layup by senior forward Sarah Child, but the Bears responded with a 14-3 run. Senior forward Brittany McMillon made a jumper and junior forward Brittany Williams nailed two three pointers putting the team within 13 points at the 10 minute mark, but that as the close as the Lady Raiders would come.
The Raiders struggled offensively, shooting only 27.4% from the field including 5 for 28 on threes at 17.9%. The Bears shot 46% on the night.
The Roberts women managed to force 23 turnovers while committing only 15 turnovers. They also totaled 9 steals compared to the Bears' 6. However, the Bears dominated on the boards,, grabbing 58 to the Raiders' 27. Shawnee also shared the ball, dishing 17 assists to the Raiders' 9.
The Roberts' women were led by McMillon with 13 points and 2 blocks. Brittany Williams followed with 12 points and 2 assists. Senior point guard Tiffany Wilson chipped in 9 points, 4 assists, and 3 steals. The Bears were led by Keilee Guthrie with 19 points, 9 boards, and 2 assists. Alex Pohl and Catrice Mitchell each added 15 points and 11 and 9 rebounds, respectively. Jill Cropper contributed 12 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 blocks.
“Shawnee State is a really good basketball team,” said Coach Bob Segave, “We knew this would be a challenging weekend for us playing two teams that were Final Four teams last season. I was proud of the way we continued to fight back. We worked hard to force some turnovers, but we struggled to convert them into points. We also had a real hard time on the boards. We will work on improving that going forward.”
The Shawnee State Classic continues tomorrow as the Lady Raiders play #4 Indiana Wesleyan tomorrow at 2 PM.
