The Raiders (8-7, 1-2 AMC) were defeated 88-66 by Walsh University (10-4, 2-1 AMC) on January 4 at the Cavaliers' Alumni Arena in North Canton, Ohio.
Walsh was leading 12-6 five minutes into the contest, but the Raiders fought back and took a 21-20 lead at 10.56 after a three-pointer by junior forward
Bianca Jones. The Cavaliers responded with a three by Katie Berry which started a 9-0 run. They pushed their margin to 12 points after two foul shots by Amanda Bennett and led 46-37 at the halftime buzzer.
The Raiders started the second half on a 10-2 run. A three by Jones at 17:37 made the score 48-47, the Raiders trailing the Cavaliers by one point. Walsh countered with an 8-1 run which resulted in a 10 point lead at 12.34. The Roberts' women came within 5 points with 9 minutes and 20 seconds remaining after a three by sophomore
Marissa Bunce, but this was the closest they came. The Cavaliers pushed their lead to the 22 point margin where they ended the game.
The Raiders shot 36.8% on the night compared to Walsh who made 53.6% of their attempts. The Cavaliers also took advantage of their frequent trips to the free throw line, sinking 26 of 30 at 86.7%. The Roberts' women forced 16 turnovers while committing 19. They only made 2 steals compared to the Cavaliers' 7, and they lost the rebound battle 42-32. The Raiders made 12 assists while the Cavaliers dished 16.
The Raiders were led by senior forward
Brittany McMillon and Bunce who each contributed 16 points. Bunce nailed 4 three pointers for the Raiders, who hit 9 threes for the game. Senior point guard
Tiffany Wilson added 5 points and 7 assists. Senior Katie Berry led the Cavaliers with 24 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 assists. Senior Cara Bedard finished with 23 points, 2 blocks, and 2 assists.
“We played well in stretches of the game and we played extremely hard all game,” said Coach
Bob Segave. “For the most part, we handled their pressure and were able to get some good shots in transition. Walsh is a strong team in our league, and they were able to run their plays effectively and get the ball inside. This helped them shoot a high percentage from the field and get to the free throw. That was too much for us to overcome.”
The Raiders play next in an AMC game against Carlow University on Saturday, January 8 at 2 P.M. at the Voller Athletic Center.
