IU East out-duels Brescia in KIAC WBB Game of the Week, 91-88
IU East out-duels Brescia in KIAC WBB Game of the Week, 91-88
BOX SCORE
(By Franklin Crist -- IU East sports information)
RICHMOND, Ind. – It's been a memorable season in just the second year as an NAIA program for the Indiana University East women's basketball team. The Red Wolves have rocketed up to 31st in the NAIA Division II Women's Basketball Coaches Poll – the squad's first appearance in the national rankings.
IU East (18-9, 13-2 KIAC) made more history on Saturday (Feb. 13) in the Richmond High School Tiernan Center, holding off the Bearcats of Brescia 91-88 in the KIAC Women's Basketball Game of the Week, clinching at least a share of the KIAC Colonial Division crown.
"We've got a lot of experience for being so young," sophomore guard Da' Sha Boyd (Anderson, Ind./Anderson High School) stated after securing the win. "We had a close one here tonight, but we hit free throws when we needed to and played some defense so it was a good win."
IU East enjoyed an early 10-point spread in the first quarter, jumping out to an 18-8 advantage. The lead was trimmed quickly. The Bearcats scrapped their way back and took a 23-22 lead after Julie Whitfill, the league's top scorer, knocked down one of her six 3-point baskets.
Following a closely contested third quarter that included many of the game's 14 lead changes, IU East emerged early in the fourth quarter and took its largest lead of the second half – seven points - at the 6:50 mark after two freebies from Boyd.
Brescia rallied again and entered the final minute with a one-point lead.
Free throws would come in clutch. Tia King (Indianapolis, Ind./Warren Central High School) hit two with 59 seconds left, giving IU East the one point edge that would stand.
King scored on a tough drive down the left side a few seconds later to extend the Red Wolf lead to 88-85.
Brescia made 13 3-pointers on the afternoon, but it missed two 3-point chances to tie in the last 25 seconds. IU East made three free throws in the last 11 seconds to preserve the win.
King led IU East with 30 points. Three more Red Wolves tallied double digits, with sophomore forward Keragan Niehoff (Rushville, Ind./Rushville Consolidated High School) adding 21 and Boyd and sophomore guard Bailey Dreiman (Vincennes, Ind./Rivet High School) adding 10 apiece.
Whitfill bested King's tally with 40 points of her own, proving worthy of her No. 4 ranking on the national scoring list. Samantha Shoulders added 13 for the Bearcats (16-13, 11-5)
IU East returns to action Feb. 16 at Alice Lloyd College. A win at Pippa Passes would clinch the outright Colonial Division title for the Red Wolves.
IU East wore pink uniforms as part of the nationwide "Play4Kay" initiative in support of the fight against women's cancers. IU East fans donated more than $800 to Reid "BRAvo," an organization that provides mammograms and other assistance to women in the Richmond area.
Article by Franklin Crist
Photo by Morgan Steinbrunner