Dec. 29, 2009
Box Score
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Closing out 2009 in style, the Clarion University women's basketball team used a 21-0 second-half run to break a 32-all tie and get a 79-62 win over Catawba (NC) on the second day of the Daytona Beach Shootout in Daytona Beach, Fla.
The Golden Eagles (7-2), who have won five straight, trailed by 13 early before using a 21-9 run at the end of the first half to tie the game at 30 at halftime. Then, after the teams traded baskets to open the second half, Clarion poured in the next 21 points and 23 of the next 24 tallies to go ahead 55-33 with 13:24 left.
Bethany Koch had nine points during the game-changing sequence that put Clarion ahead by 22, while Lizzie Suwala had five and Sara Pratt four. Koch got the run started with back-to-back baskets before a three-pointer by Courtney Healy put Clarion ahead seven 2:31 into the second half. Two points by Suwala and four from Pratt quickly moved the lead into double digits, and the Golden Eagles never led by fewer than 12 the rest of the way.
Catawba (6-5) tried to make a run at Clarion closing to within the 12, 57-45, with 9:33 to play, but Suwala quickly put an end to the mini-run with a 3-pointer that started an 11-4 run that included a second three by Suwala, who tied Koch for game-high honors with 23 points.
Things didn't look good for Clarion in the opening eight-plus minutes, as the Golden Eagles trailed 17-4 before five straight points from Rachel Graeff got Clarion going.
But Catawba still led by 11, 21-9, with under 9:30 left in the first half.
That's when Clarion got hot going on the half-ending 21-9 run, that included a 6-0 spurt at the end of the half. The run started with baskets from Pratt and Koch and ended with Koch draining a shot to tie the game at 30 with just three seconds left in the half. Suwala, Pratt and Koch each had six points during the run.
In addition to her 23 points, Suwala added 10 rebounds, while Koch had seven boards including six on the offensive end. Pratt added 13 points, six rebounds and five steals.
Milica Ivanovic and Dana Hicks shared team-high honors for Catawba with 12 points each with Kisha Long adding nine. Ivanovic also had a team-best six rebounds.
NOTES - Clarion has won five straight for the first time since the 2007-2008 season when it also won five in a row from Jan. 23-Feb. 9 ... Suwala's double-double is her third of the year and the eighth by Clarion this season ... Clarion is off until Saturday when it travels to East Stroudsburg for a 1 p.m. game. The Golden Eagles are then at Kutztown Sunday also at 1 p.m.
