Lady Wolverines slip in PAC tournament semis
WASHINGTON, PA, February 22, 2001--Third-seeded Grove City played arch-rival Bethany even through the first 12 minutes, but the second-seeded Bison went on a 20-5 run before halftime and cruised to a 60-39 victory in the semifinal round of the Presidents' Athletic Conference Championship Tournament at Washington & Jefferson's Henry Memorial Center Thursday.
The Lady Wolverines, who last won a PAC title in 1987, dropped to 15-9, while two-time defending league champion Bethany improved to 16-9 and advanced to Friday's title game against top-seeded Washington & Jefferson, who beat Thiel, 83-71.
Grove City took its last lead (14-11) with 8:14 left before intermission when sophomore Cara Denniston (Grove City, PA/Grove City) knocked down a three-pointer -- one of the team's three makes in 18 attempts from outside the arc. Bethany rallied to take a 31-19 lead at halftime and extended the spurt to 30-8 by jumping ahead 41-22 with 14:30 remaining. The Bison led by as many as 24 (56-32) before posting the 21-point verdict.
The Lady Wolverines were dealt a severe blow late in the first half when senior Kristina Dixon (Smethport, PA/Smethport) was forced to leave the game with a serious ankle injury. Dixon, the team's top rebounder, exited with two points and four boards in 16 minutes of action.
Junior Stephanie Murphy (Munroe Falls, OH/Stow-Munroe Falls) hit a pair of threes and finished with a team-high 10 points for the Lady Wolverines, who were held to 28% shooting (15-54). Murphy, junior Kristy Kegg (Johnstown, PA/Ferndale) and sophomore Jessica Jenkins (Conneautville, PA/Cambridge Springs) grabbed five rebounds each.
Bethany was paced by Jill Kamerer's 21 points on 9-for-14 shooting. Kelley Richardson added 12 points and 10 boards for the Bison, who shot 42% and outrebounded the Lady Wolverines, 47-34.
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