|
Bluejay Women Win Fourth Straight
Box Score
ELMHURST, Ill. - Candice Sutton (Matteson/Rich South) matched her career-high by scoring 20 points and leading the Elmhurst College women's basketball team to a 72-64 win over Carthage College. The win was the Bluejays' fourth consecutive victory as the team pulled even at .500 (11-11 overall) for the first time since the opening two games of the season.
With the win, the Bluejays improved to 7-4 in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW). The Bluejays moved one step closer to clinching a spot in the CCIW Tournament with the win. Elmhurst needs just one more victory, or a loss by North Central College to guarantee a spot in the tournament.
Elmhurst came out firing in the first half, jumping out a 15-0 lead. Carthage (16-6, 8-7 CCIW) answered right back, as the Lady Reds used a 17-4 run to cut the Bluejays' lead down to two with just under eight minutes to play in the half. The Bluejays carried a slim 34-30 lead into the locker room at halftime.
The Bluejays built their lead back to seven points (56-49) midway through the second half, before Carthage strung together an 11-3 run to grab its first lead of the game with 6:19 to play. The lead was short lived, as a Claire Gentry (Memphis, Tenn./Ridgeway) jumper but Elmhurst back on top by one. Elmhurst lengthened its lead to five points on layups by Kelsey Monroe (West Chicago/H.S.) and Gentry.
After Carthage trimmed the lead back down to three points, a Lyndsie Long (Sugar Grove/Kaneland) baseline jumper gave Elmhurst a five-point lead with one minute remaining. Elmhurst hit three free throws down the stretch to earn the 72-64 victory.
The Bluejays shot 45.2 percent (26-of-62) from the floor and 33.3 percent (5-of-15) from downtown.
Carthage finished the game shooting 46.6 percent (27-of-58) from the field and 20.0 percent (3-of-15) from long range. The Lady Reds struggled from the foul line, hitting only 7-of-13 attempts (53.8 percent).
Elmhurst enjoyed 39-32 advantage on the glass, including a 15-10 edge on the offensive glass. Elmhurst turned the 15 offensive rebounds into 23 second chance points.
Elmhurst also capitalized on Carthage's mistakes, turning 21 Lady Reds' turnovers into 35 points.
Sutton matched her career-high with 20 points on 7-of-17 shooting. She added seven rebounds and three steals. In the process, she moved to second place in the Bluejay record book for career steals. Sutton (210 steals) needs just four steals to become Elmhurst's all-time leader in steals.
Monroe and Long each chipped in with 15 points. Long pulled down six boards and dished out four assists while Monroe recorded four steals. Brittany Bobruk (Darien/Downers Grove South) added eights points and 10 rebounds in the win.
Carthage was led by Rosie Dorn's 13 points on 5-of-10 shooting. Lisa Gartelos added 11 points while Heather Gilmore scored 10.
Elmhurst plays host to Millikin University on Saturday, February 16. Tip-off is scheduled for 2:00 p.m.
|
