ST LOUIS - The third time is the charm for the Lewis women's basketball team. Lewis upset No. 2 seed UW-Parkside 64-56 on Saturday evening in the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament Semifinals. Lewis had their season end in the GLVC Semifinals the previous two seasons. The win advances Lewis to the GLVC Championship on Sunday at 3:30 p.m. CT.
"We won because of defense," head coach Lisa Carlsen said. "Last night we played 40 minutes of man and tonight it was 40 minutes of zone but they believed in it and executed it."
The first half was back and forth with six lead changes and two ties. It was physical too as both teams tried to establish offense inside the paint. The physical play culminated in a technical foul called on UW-Parkside's Brittany Hogen with 36 seconds left in the half after knocking junior Devon Carbaugh (Sterling, Ill./Sterling) to the court following a UW-Parkside basket. Carbaugh missed the rest of the half before returning in the second. Senior Kady Currin (Cincinnati, Ohio/Seton) sunk both free throws to help Lewis hold a 28-23 lead at the break. Carbaugh scored 11 points in the half.
Lewis scored the first four points of the second half to take a 32-23 lead less than a minute into the second half. UW-Parkside rallied back to cut the Lewis lead to two with 13:04 remaining. However the Rangers would never tie the game. Lewis built their lead back to eight at 46-38 with 9:16 remaining on a three-point play by senior Jenny Turpel (Johnsburg, Ill./Johnsburg). UW-Parkside responded with a 3-pointer of their own to keep the game close. A transition jumper by senior Kelly Monaco (Chicago, Ill./Resurrection) gave Lewis their first double-digit lead of the game at 51-41 with 7:16 remaining. Just as Lewis seemed to be pulling away, the Rangers responded. UW-Parkside scored the next six points before Turpel stopped the run with a layup after a nice up and under move. The basket started a Lewis push that culminated in Lewis grabbing a 58-47 lead on a jumper by Currin with 1:48 remaining. The basket by the senior all but sealed the win for the Flyers.
UW-Parkside's Jadee Rooney entered the game averaging 15.3 points per game. She scored only five on Saturday night against the Flyers, finishing 2-of-10 after a 1-of-7 first half.
Lewis outrebounded UW-Parkside 34-31. The Rangers entered the game outrebounding their opponents by 8.8 per game. The Flyers were also very careful with the ball, committing just eight turnovers.
"When you rebound, don't turn it over and have all the positives on the defensive end that we had then you have a formula for a victory," Carlsen said.
Carbaugh finished with 13 points.
"Devon was huge tonight," Carlsen said. "I was so happy when all her tests came back fine at halftime. When I think about big baskets in the game her points in the first half come to mind."
Currin totaled 12 points, 10 in the second half, and added five assists. Turpel added 11 points. All eight Flyers who saw action scored.
Lewis becomes the first No. 9 seed to advance to the GLVC Championship in league history. Lewis will also become the first school in league history to play four GLVC Tournament games when Lewis takes the court on Sunday in the GLVC Championship. The Flyers will play Indianapolis. The fifth seeded Greyhounds upset number one seed Quincy to advance to the all cinderella championship game.
"Your only chance to win a championship is to play defense and with the way we have played the last two days I have no doubt we will play defense tomorrow," Carlsen said.
UW-Parkside falls to 22-6. Lewis improves to 14-15.
