JCU Blue Streaks defeat Mount Union Purple Raiders in OAC home opener
By Samantha Ubalde-Fay
On a chilly Dec. 5 night in University Heights, Ohio, John Carroll’s women’s basketball team defeated the Purple Raiders from the University of Mount Union at the Tony DeCarlo Varsity Center at John Carroll University in a close game with a final score of 58–61.
Yellow-tinted fluorescent lights hung above the reflective gym grounds and as fans and supporters entered, the squeaks of rubber shoes against hardwood floor could be heard from players warming up on the court. Parents, fellow students, and community supporters of the teams slowly filled the stands.
With tipoff at 7 p.m., the Ohio Athletic Conference Home Opener commenced.
A mere nine seconds into the first quarter, senior Chelbi Graham scored the first point for the Blue Streaks from a successful free throw. After two rebounds both defensive and offensive, Rachel Tinkey was successful with a jump shot, giving Mount Union a one-point lead.
With a steal and an eventual assist from junior Sarah Sprecher, Nicole Heffington scored the next two points, giving JCU a one-point advantage. Heffington eventually lead the team in the first quarter, scoring six points with assists by Sprecher and junior Dani Carlson. The Blue Streaks headed into the second quarter with a two-point lead of 18–16.
Within the first 15 seconds into the second quarter, Renee DeFord of Mount Union had a successful layup, tying the score 18–18. Only 15 seconds later, Carlson had a good jump shot that put JCU back in the lead with a two-point advantage. Heffington scored another six points with an assist by sophomore Abby Adler. Carlson scored four points for the team with two jump shots. At halftime, the Blue Streaks and Purple Raiders were once again tied with the score 32–32.
Heffington scored the next two points, giving JCU a two-point advantage early in the third quarter. Nearly a minute later, Adler, with an assist by Heffington, shot a three-pointer, giving JCU a five-point lead. However, Tori Rappach of Mount Union counteracted that with a three-pointer of her own with an assist by Corenna Maynard. Senior Shmoo Pryor, with an assist by Heffington, shot a three-pointer and a jump shot within the last two minutes of the quarter. The Blue Streaks went into the final quarter with a nine-point advantage of 50–41 over the Purple Raiders. “They were able to lock down defensively and make smart choices on offense,” said Matt O’Donnell, a supporter of JCU’s team.
Going into the fourth quarter, sophomore Sara Spicer contributed three points with a free throw and jump shot. Carlson and Adler both had successful free-throw shots scoring two points each for the Blue Streaks.
Christopher Wenzler, the Sports Information Director for JCU, said, “They played really hard tonight. They played well, and it was great to see that they fed off the energy of the crowd a little bit. When push comes to shove, they made the plays they had to at the end to win the game.”
Three successful free-throw shots by Carlson and Adler with 12 seconds left in the final quarter is what gave the Blue Streaks a three-point advantage over the Purple Raiders as the game finished. The final score was 58–61.
JCU’s next home game will take place on Saturday, Dec. 15, at the Tony DeCarlo Varsity Center with tipoff at 3 p.m. against the Ohio Northern Polar Bears. For more information, visit JCU’s Sports Information Department’s website here.
