Purdue Fort Wayne
Western Illinois
IPFW Snaps Losing Skid with Four Point Win
1/26/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jan. 26, 2009
Fort Wayne, IN – The IPFW Mastodons snapped an 11-game losing skid on Monday night with a 55-51 hard-fought victory over the Westerwinds of Western Illinois University.
Eva Ivanova had her best performance in an IPFW uniform, scoring a game-high 17 points while pulling down seven rebounds and dishing out three assists. Anne Boese scored a dozen points, with Jordan Zuppe scoring nine, and Chelsey Jackson and Tina Moen adding seven points apiece. Moen also added seven rebounds, with Jackson adding a trio of assists.
At the start of the game, the two teams traded points, going back-and-forth, with neither team able to put together back-to-back baskets until IPFW, down 11-9, ran off seven straight points on a Moen free throw, a Sarah Haluska three-pointer, and then a Boese long-range shot to push ahead to a 15-11 lead, forcing a Westerwind timeout.
After an Anne Borgertpoepping basket for WIU cut the gap to three, IPFW scored five straight again, on a Jackson three, and a pair of Ivanova free throws to open an eight point, 21-13 lead, the largest lead by either team in the game, with 2:53 remaining in the opening half.
Western Illinois continued to fight, out-scoring IPFW 5-2 over the final two-plus minutes of the first half, cutting the deficit to five at 23-18 heading into the locker room.
After each team scored a basket early in the second half, WIU ran off seven straight points to take a two-point, 27-25 lead with 17:50 on the clock. The Westerwind lead would be short-lived; however, as the ‘Dons re-took the lead a little over a minute later on Boese’s second of three three-point baskets.
The ‘Dons pushed the lead to as many as four, until Nicole Myers converted an old-fashioned three-point play, which set up an Amanda Walker three-point basket, giving WIU a 40-38 lead with 9:43 on the game clock. Western Illinois’ lead grew to four following a Lindsey Wutt free throw, before Moen scored back-to-back baskets to knot the game at 44.
Nicole Myers and Boese then went back-and-forth, Myers hitting a two, with Boese following with one of her own on the next possession, re-tying the game. Myers hit a pair of free throws to push the Westerwind advantage to two, before the freshman Boese played well above her age with a three-point basket with 2:15 on the clock, giving IPFW a lead they would not give up for the remainder of the game.
Ivanova and Zuppe hit a pair of free throws on back-to-back possessions, pushing the lead to five, before Walker drilled the last of her four three-point baskets to take the lead down to just two. Lady luck looked down fondly on the Mastodons, as Zuppe, who was fouled with 19.5 seconds left, missed the front end of a one-and-one free throw opportunity, only to see the ball carom out of bounds off the hands of a Westerwind player.
With a second chance, Zuppe calmly made a free throw to take the lead to three, before following with another free throw on the next possession to put the game out of reach, giving the contest its 55-51 final score.
IPFW, ranked ninth in the country in turnovers per game, had its second best turnover night in the Division I era by committing just six, one off of their five they gave up against North Dakota State on January 5.
The ‘Dons struggled with their shooting in the contest, making just 6-of-32 shots from long range (18.8%) and hitting 30 percent (18-of-60) from the field. Western Illinois shot only slightly better, 38 percent (19-of-50) from the field, and 33.3 percent (4-of-12) from long range.
IPFW out-scored Western Illinois 13-9 at the free throw line, and held their own in the rebounding department, getting out-rebounded by just one, 38-37.
Boese led IPFW with three three-point baskets, with three other players making one. All seven players that saw action in the game attempted at least two three-point baskets.
Western Illinois was led by Walker who scored 16 points, while Myers added 13. Ashley Lord pulled down a game-high 10 rebounds, as she and Katy Clark each dished out a team-best three assists.
The Mastodons take to the roads, as the squad travels west to take on the Bison of North Dakota State on Saturday, January 31, with tip-off slated for 3:00 PM EST in Fargo, North Dakota.
~Dons~
