Purdue Fort Wayne
Oral Roberts
Mastodons Finish Sweep of Oral Roberts 96-83
2/8/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Feb. 8, 2010
Fort Wayne, IN - Two days after holding Centenary to a Division I school-record-low 28 points including just nine in the first half, the IPFW Mastodons flexed its offensive muscles to the tune of 57 first-half points on 72.4 percent shooting, the third highest scoring half in IPFW's Division I history, before holding on late in a 96-83 victory over Summit League-leading Oral Roberts on Monday evening.
"We feel like we match up really well with Oral Roberts," said IPFW head coach Chris Paul. "Basketball is all about match-ups, and for whatever reason we match-up really well with this basketball team. We didn't want to turn it into a track meet, and if you were to tell me we would win 96-83, I would have said that you were crazy."
Stephanie Rosado, shown here shooting over ORU's Jordan Pyle, scored 24 points while blocking a career-high-tying six shots  |
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The Mastodons (9-4 Summit League) improved their record to 12-12 on the season, tying the school's Division I record for most wins, which the 2006-07 and 2007-08 teams accomplished, and is the furthest into the year the `Dons have been at .500 or better since the 2000-01 season.
Stephanie Rosado flirted with a triple double with 24 points, nine rebounds and six blocked shots, as Anne Boese scored a career-high 26 points while adding six rebounds. Three others, Jordan Zuppe (13), Sydney Weiner (13), and Chelsey Jackson (11) each reached double figures, as the `Dons put five players into double figures in the scoring column since the season opener against Wright State.
Boese's points came primarily via the three-point basket, as the sophomore was 6-of-14 from long range, the fifth time she has made six in a game this season. The half-dozen makes also gives her 80 made three-point baskets on the season, moving her into sixth place in the all-time Summit League record book, and tied for third in IPFW's.
"We did such a good job executing our offense and getting good looks that I have a tough time not letting our kids shoot the basketball," commented the head coach. "If they extend out, which is what they like to do with their traps, we have 6-2 and 6-3 players that we throw lobs to. But then if they take it away, our shooters stand out there and shoot it"
Jackson added a career-high nine assists, with Courtney Reed dishing out seven helpers, giving IPFW 22 assists for the game. Behind her six blocked shots, Rosado moved into sixth in the Mastodon single season record books in the statistic with 34. IPFW totaled eight blocked shots in the game, tied for the fourth most since 2001-02, when IPFW joined the ranks of NCAA Division I.
"Stephanie brings a presence that other teams have to match up with," said Paul. "That is one of the reasons we are a tough match-up for Oral Roberts. She brings swagger, and some attitude that this program needs."
The 96 points for the Mastodons were the most since they scored 98 against Kalamazoo in 2005-06, and the most against a Division I opponent since they put up 102 against Morehead State on January 5, 2004.
The Mastodons jumped out quickly in the game, scoring the contest's first seven points, and never trailed in the game for the second straight contest - and the sixth time this season - with five of those coming during the 2010 calendar year. Oral Roberts (16-8, 10-3 Summit League) answered back with four quick points, and a three-pointer by Jaci Bigham cut the deficit to three at 10-7 three and a half minutes into the game.
The three-point margin would be as close as the Golden Eagles would come the rest of the way, with IPFW rattling off a quick 6-0 run on back-to-back lay-ups by Rosado and a pair of free throws from Weinert, pushing the lead to nine at 16-7. The `Dons continued their torrid pace, and led by 15 at 28-13 before coming up empty for the first time on a shot attempt 7:20 into the game, a span of eight shots, four of which were three's, and a perfect 4-of-4 from the charity stripe.
IPFW kept its foot on the gas pedal during the first half, and increased its lead to 20 at 54-34 following another Weinert lay-in. The squad from Tulsa would not go quietly into halftime, as they out-scored IPFW 8-3 over the rest of the half to cut the deficit to 15 heading into the locker room at 57-42.
The Mastodons shot an eye-popping 72.4 percent (21-of-29) from the field in the first half, including 8-of-11 (72.7 percent) from long range, while holding Oral Roberts to just 38.1 percent shooting during the same span, and 4-of-11 from three-point range. Where the visitors did lead during the opening 20 minutes was on the boards, where ORU led 20-to-15, including pulling down a dozen offensive rebounds.
"One of the things that we talked about at halftime was rebounding," noted Paul. "We gave up 12 offensive rebounds in the first half and we told them that if we gave up that many in the second half, we were going to lose - we needed to make a commitment to getting to the glass."
The Golden Eagles jumped out quickly to start the second stanza, as IPFW could not find their rhythm offensively, with the visitors cutting the IPFW lead to single digits to nine at 61-52 following an old-fashioned three-point play by Summit League leading scorer Kevi Luper. IPFW gradually increased its lead to a seemingly comfortable 15 points with just under eight minutes to play, before ORU took off for nine straight points to cut the IPFW lead to just six on a tip-in by Savanna Buck with 5:14 to play in the game.
After re-grouping with a timeout, IPFW got a 7-0 run from Jackson, who scored on a jumper, a pair of free throws, and a three-point basket from the top of the key to take the lead to a baker's dozen. The IPFW advantage grew to as many as 17 with 2:22 to play, as the Mastodons iced the game by hitting 11-of-14 free throws in the final two minutes to secure the season sweep of the Golden Eagles.
"That 5-0 run at the beginning of the second half was all second-chance points," said the head coach. "We called the timeout, we addressed it, and I thought we did a much better job. Stephanie (Rosado) and Sydney (Weinert) stepped up, but I can't say enough about the rebounding of Courtney Reed, Jordan Zuppe, Chelsey Jackson, and Anne Boese. When your guards get on the boards like that, it is huge."
Luper, who came into the game averaging 25.0 points per game poured in a game-high 33 on 10-of-29 shooting from the field, and 12-of-14 from the free throw line. Jaci Bigham scored 17, including 3-of-8 from three-point range, with Janae Voelker adding 11. Oral Roberts out-rebounded IPFW 48-to-42 in the game, and pulled down a remarkable 27 offensive boards.
The Mastodons now sit a game behind Oral Roberts and South Dakota State, who share the conference lead with a 10-3 record, as IPFW and Oakland sit just behind with a 9-4 record. UMKC and North Dakota State each have eight wins, tied for fifth and sixth in the league.
IPFW takes to the road for their longest Summit League road swing of the season as they travel west to take on the Southern Utah University Thunderbirds on Saturday, February 13, before traveling to Kansas City, Missouri in a rematch of a January 16 UMKC win at the Memorial Coliseum.
~Dons~
