women's basketball

Tigers Slide Past Pesky Spartans 75-72

DePauw holds on for its school-record 21st win and homecourt advantage

in the conference tournament next weekend.

Story and Photos by Mike Lillich, University Editor

GAME STATISTICS

GREENCASTLE, IND. - The visiting Manchester Spartans came into Gaumey Neal Fieldhouse decided underdogs but acted like boring houseguests, who just kept hanging around and didn't seem to ever want to go home.

But in the end the story line was familiar: sophomores Kelly Morrison (Huntington, Ind./Huntington North) and Susan Bender (Indianapolis/Roncalli) combined to lead the Tigers to their 10th straight win and 17th in the last 18 tries.

Manchester came out of the locker room energized and quickly threw up two three-pointers for a 6-0 lead. The Tigers looked shaky and out of synch, and Coach Kris Huffman went to the bench earlier than usual for top scorer Morrison.

It was a good coaching decision, to say the least. Morrison responded with 15 points by halftime and a 35-26 DePauw lead. The crowd settled in for a comfortable second-half conclusion.

The problem is nobody told the Spartans they were playing second fiddle.

They kept scratching and clawing on defense and lobbing treys (nine of 24 for the contest), and it was all Bender, with her 13 second-half points, and company could do to hold off the determined Spartans.

Finally, it took Morrison's going to the line after a hard foul to make both ends of a one-and-one with five seconds to go to seal the deal and homecourt advantage for the conference tournament beginning on Thursday (Feb. 27).

Morrison ended with 21 points, including 3-5 from three-point land and 10-12 from the free-throw line. Bender had 19 points and turned in her usual smart, tenacious floor game.

Freshman point guard Jamie Selip (Indian Park, Ill./Lyons Township) added 11 points and at just 5-feet 4-inches was the little big woman in this contest with 10 rebounds.

But for all the Tigers' good play, Manchester hung around until long after coffee, dessert and the dishes were washed, dried and put away.

There was a sense early and late that a victory here would make an otherwise disappointing season worthwhile for them. And the Spartans, playing like ancient Greece was the prize, almost pulled it off.

Sarah Irish led Manchester in scoring with 18 points, all on three-pointers. Jaime Wilson had 14 and Leanne Lake 11.

The Tigers will host the winner of Franklin-Anderson on Friday, February 28 at 8 p.m. DePauw needs to win the conference tournament to ensure a second straight trip to the NCAA Division III Tournament.

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