Dec. 28, 2009

Box Score

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Using a balanced effort from its starting five, the Clarion University women's basketball team picked up a key Regional win with a 73-66 victory over WVIAC co-leader Wheeling Jesuit Monday at the at the Daytona Beach Shootout in Daytona Beach, Fla.

Clarion's starters scored 67 of the Golden Eagles 73 points while helping Clarion (6-2) to its fourth straight win.

Bethany Koch led the way with her fourth double-double of the season and her second in as many games with 17 points and 11 rebounds. She added three assists and a steal. Lizzie Suwala added her fourth straight game with 15 or more points tying Koch for team-high honors with 17 tallies while adding six rebounds, two steals, an assist and a blocked shot. Courtney Healy chipped in with 14 points and five rebounds, Sara Pratt had 11 points, seven rebounds, three steals and four blocks and Rachel Graeff added eight points, 12 rebounds, six assists, three steals and a block from her point guard position.

Kourtney Booth led all scorers with 19 points for Wheeling Jesuit (4-3) with Chrissy Pavlik adding 13 points and Megan Stuvek 10 points and 14 rebounds. Kim Mueller chipped in 12 rebounds and four points.

Clarion used a 14-3 run in the first half that was fueled by six points from Healy to break open a 10-all tie on its way to a 28-23 halftime lead. The Golden Eagles then outscored Wheeling Jesuit 30-18 in the first 14:40 of the second half to take a 58-41 lead.

The Golden Eagles still led by 16, 63-47, with 4:01 to play before the Lady Cardinals went on a 15-3 run to close to within four, 66-62, on a Pavlik 3-pointer with 56 seconds left.

Graeff, though, silenced the Wheeling Jesuit run with an old-school 3-point play with 48 seconds left, and Suwala hit 4 of 4 free throws in the final 22 seconds to seal the victory.

NOTES - Clarion's four-game winning streak is its longest since winning five in a row between Jan 23 and Feb. 9, 2008 ... Koch's double-double gives the Golden Eagles seven double-doubles on the year ... Clarion returns to action at 5 p.m. Tuesday when it faces Catawba at Daytona Beach. Live stats of the game can be found by going to www.clariongoldeneagles.com.