Jan. 31, 2009

Box Score

Box Score in PDF Format

ROMEOVILLE, Ill. - Senior Mandie Morelock (Poplar Grove, Ill./North Boone) drained the go ahead three-pointer with 1:45 left to help the Lewis women's basketball team defeat Bellarmine 77-70 in a Great Lakes Valley Conference contest on Saturday afternoon at Neil Carey Arena.

Bellarmine spent most of the second half chipping away at the Flyers' 37-27 halftime lead. The Knights took their first lead of the game at 63-61 with 3:59 left when Kylie Brady made all three free throws after being fouled while attempting a trey. It would end up being the Knights' only lead of the game.

Sophomore Kady Currin (Cincinnati, Ohio/Seton) found sophomore Kelly Monaco (Chicago, Ill./Resurrection) for an open trey in the corner to grab the lead back at 64-63. Monaco then picked off a Knights' pass near center court and raced the rest of the way for an easy layup and a three-point advantage with 2:33 remaining. Bellarmine's Shawna Nicols made a layup and Dana Beaven went to the line at 2:10 when sophomore Jenny Turpel (Johnsburg, Ill./Johnsburg) committed her fifth foul. Bellarmine made one free throw to knot it at 66 to set the stage for Morelock, who entered the game for Turpel, to drain her big shot on the other end and make it 69-66. Beaven scored for Bellarmine only to see Currin get to the basket for Lewis and extend the lead to 71-68 with 49 second remaining. After the basket the Knights forced a long pass down court that Morelock was able to get her hands on and knock it out of bounds off a Bellarmine player.

The Knights decided to foul and Currin went to the line for a one-and-one with 42 seconds left. She missed the first, but senior Jenna Mooberry (Byron, Ill./Byron) contested the Bellarmine rebound and was able to force it out of bounds off a Knight. Bellarmine fouled Currin again, but this time the sophomore made both.

Bellarmine made an easy basket on the other end to bring the score to 73-70 with 34 second remaining, but Currin and freshman Devon Carbaugh (Sterling, Ill./Sterling) combined to drain four free throws down the stretch and ice the contest.

"If we can maintain a lead and other teams are forced to foul I have confidence we can close it out at the charity stripe," head coach Lisa Carlsen said.

Turpel finished with 18 points, nine boards, four assists and two steals. Currin recorded a career-high 14 points. Monaco added 15 points, nailing three treys. Mooberry had seven points, eight rebounds and three assists.

"Our bench made a big difference today," Carlsen said. "Of course Mandie's shot was big but Lauresha (Hawkins) had two big threes."

Hawkins connected on back-to-back treys midway through the second to give the Flyers a nine-point lead.

Bellarmine's Taylor Kopple, who entered the game averaging 17.9 points and 8.1 rebounds, had only 12 and five respectively.

"We'll look back at the end of the year and see this win as a difference maker," Carlsen. "Wins like this will help us in a couple weeks."

The victory improves the Flyers to 10-10 (6-5 GLVC). Bellarmine drops to 13-6 (5-5 GLVC). The Flyers hold the No. 4 spot in the GLVC East, a half game in front of Bellarmine and only one back of Indianapolis.

Lewis is at Kentucky Wesleyan on Thursday for a 5:30 tip.