Mastodons Topple In-State Rival Valparaiso on Wednesday Night

Wednesday, December 8

Fort Wayne, Ind.

8:00 PM

Purdue Fort Wayne

5-3

Valparaiso

2-6

Valparaiso

IPFW

Stephanie Rosado scored a game-high nine points as IPFW toppled in-state rival Valparaiso 73-65 on Wednesday evening

Mastodons Topple In-State Rival Valparaiso on Wednesday Night

12/8/2010 11:43:26 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

BOX SCORE | POSTGAME NOTES (.pdf) | PHOTO GALLERY

Fort Wayne, IN - IPFW rebounded from its worst shooting victory in program history to make 24-of-51 shots from the field, while out-rebounding Valparaiso 29-20, leading wire-to-wire in a 73-65 win over its in-state rival.

Stephanie Rosado poured in a game-high 29 points on 11-of-18 shooting from the field, while Anne Boese scored 11, including making 2-of-6 three-point baskets. Kayla Drake finished with nine points for the second consecutive game, while Amanda Hyde put in seven points off the bench.

Sydney Weinert, who added seven rebounds, dished out a team-high three assists, while four others, Drake, Jordan Zuppe, Boese, and Chelsey Jackson each dished out a pair. Rosado finished a rebound shy of a double-double with nine, while Drake had a game-high-tying three steals.

IPFW, now 5-3 on the season, is off to its best start to a season since becoming a Division I member in 2001-02. The 2006-07 and 2007-08 teams all started 4-3, but lost the next game.

IPFW bounded out of the gate, scoring 13 of the first 15 points of the game, leading 13-2 five minutes into the contest. Valpo fought back, and eventually cut the deficit to three at 20-17 with a Gina Lange lay-up with 6:45 left in the half, but that would be the final points scored by the Crusaders in the half, as IPFW ended the period on a 9-0 run to lead 29-17 heading into the locker room at halftime.

The Mastodons gradually pushed the lead to as many as 20 at 56-36 on a pair of Jackson free throws, which would stand as the high-water mark for IPFW. The Crusaders began to work away at the Mastodon lead, eventually closing to within four, as Valparaiso hit six of its last seven three-point tries in the game, helping to provide the fuel for the comeback attempt.

After Valpo cut the deficit to four with 1:12 left, the Crusaders would not reach the scoreboard again in the game, as the Mastodons iced the game as Zuppe made all four of her free throw attempts in the last minute to give IPFW its eight-point final margin in the game.

Ashley Timmerman scored a team-high 19 points off of the bench, making 5-of-6 long range shots, as Betsy Adams and Tabitha Gerardot each added 13.

The Mastodons return to action for its finale of a six-game homestand, when the squad hosts the University of Detroit on Saturday morning, with an 11:00 AM tip-off at the Memorial Coliseum.

~Dons~