February 21, 2005

Walsh is headed back to the NAIA National Tournament.  The NAIA No. 4 Cavs (new poll out 2/22) will compete in the 14th Annual NAIA National Championships from Branson, MO, March 9-16.  Seeding and pairings will be announced March 2.  The 32-team single elimination tournament begins March 9, with eight games starting at 8:30 a.m.  The second round will be played on Thursday, March 10.  The Cavs last NAIA National Tournament appearance was in 2001-02.  Walsh closed the season winning two out of the three games played last week.  This Saturday, they play for the American Mideast Conference Championship in Latrobe, PA against Saint Vincent College at 7:30 pm.  This is the Cavs final game before the national tournament.  The game will be aired live on 900 AM WCER and on the Internet at www.wcer.us.

Head Coach Jeff Young becomes the fourth Walsh coach to take a team to the tournament and also the third to do it in his first year as head coach.  Dan Peters took the Cavs to Kansas City in 1983-84 in his first season and Steve Loy duplicated the trip, but to Nampa, Idaho in 1992-93.  Loy took the Cavs to the tournament a record four times and reached the final four in 1995-96. Bob Huggins was the first Walsh head coach to win a championship and took the team to the tourney in 1982-83.  

Walsh clinched the AMC South title on Tuesday.  Walsh defeated Ohio Dominican University 84-58 and clinched crown when Tiffin University upset Cedarville University 84-80.  Walsh shot .623 from the floor against the Panthers.  In the two games against ODU, Walsh shot over .555 in each half.  Walsh led from start to finish in the win, building leads of 10 and 11 points in the first half. In the second half, the Cavs shot a blistering .667 and outscored the Panthers 48-31.  Rob Whaley (Sr., Benton Harbor, MI/HS) led all scorers with 23 points.  Jason Hicks (So., Cleveland, OH/Villa Angela St. Joseph) added 16 points, Derek Chappell (So., Euclid, OH/Lutheran East) scored a career-high 13 points off the bench and Randy Sistrunk (Sr., Canton, OH/McKinley) added 10 points and 10 rebounds.

Walsh survived a furious second half rally to defeat Tiffin University 94-88 at home on Thursday.  The Cavs led by as many as 18 points in the first half and led 42-26 at halftime. Tiffin scored the first eight points of the second half to cut the Walsh lead to eight points (42-34), before the Cavaliers pushed the lead to 20 points at 61-41.  Walsh led 81-66 with 2:53 to play, when Tiffin mounted a comeback.  Tiffin trimmed the lead to 81-76 with 1:10 to play, then to two points (85-83) with 35 seconds. Walsh would ice the game from the foul line.  Jason Hicks hit 5-6 free throws in the last 53 seconds and Randy Sistrunk connected twice.  Rob Whaley led all scorers with 24 points.  Hicks added 19 points, Brandon Weems (Fr., Akron, OH/St- Vincent-St. Mary) scored 17 points off the bench and Corey Jones (Fr., Avon Lake, OH/Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary) added 13.  

The Cavs fell 62-40 in their final regular season game at Shawnee State University (16-16, 10-8 AMC S) on Saturday.  A cold shooting second half doomed the Cavs.  Walsh trailed 29-26 at the half, after shooting only 37% (10-27) in the first half.  The second half produced a season low 14 points, as the Cavs could only connect on 5-28 (18%) from the field.  Rob Whaley was the only Cavalier to score in double figures, netting 16 points. 

Saint Vincent (23-4, 14-0 AMC N), who won the AMC North Division title, will be meeting the Cavaliers for the second time this season.  Walsh defeated Saint Vincent 66-64 on December 10 at home, as Corey Jones nit a three-pointer at the buzzer.   The Bears have won their last 14 games and lead the all-time series with the Cavs 9-5. 

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL: Cavs (11-17, 5-13) Close Season

Walsh (11-17, 5-13 AMC S) closed a disappointing season, losing three games last week and their final six games of the season.  Walsh dropped contest to Ohio Dominican University (79-69), Tiffin University (75-66) and Shawnee State University (79-61).

The Cavs kept the game close in Columbus against Ohio Dominican.  The Cavs played well, shooting .533 (8-15) from three-point and .472 (25-53) from field.  Walsh shot .483 from the field in the first half and held ODU to only .333, but led only 39-38 at the half.  ODU caught fire in the second half, shooting .516 from the field and out scoring the Cavs 41-30.  LeAnne Ware (Jr., Alliance, OH/Marlington) connected on 5-9 from outside the arc and led the Cavs with a game-high 19 points.  Beth Sternberg (Jr., East Canton, OH/HS) added 15 points and Dionna Hammett (Jr., Warrensville Hts. OH/St. Peter Chanel) added 12 points and eight rebounds.

Tiffin University downed Walsh 75-66 in the Cavs home finale on Thursday.  The Dragons led from start to finish in the win.  Tiffin led 36-24 at the half, but was outscored 42-39 in the second half as Walsh rallied late.  LeAnn Ware (Jr., Alliance, OH/Marlington) paced the Cavs with a game-high 21 points. 

Walsh closed the season with a 79-61 loss at Shawnee State University on Saturday.  The Cavs played well in the first half and led by 12 points (39-27) with 2:35 to play in the half.  Shawnee State, however, rallied and trimmed the Walsh lead to 41-40 at the break.  The Bears would use their late first half momentum and pull away from the Cavs in the second half, out scoring them 39-20.  The Cavs shot only 25% (8-32) in the second half.  Dionna Hammett led Walsh with 18 points.  Ingrid Brainard (So., Madison, OH/HS) added 15 points and Beth Sternberg 12 points.

Hammett led the Cavs in scoring (15.0 ppg) and rebouding (10.0 rpg).  She is the first Cavalier to average a double-double since Ann Alpeter in 1989-90, when she averaged 12.8 points and 10.6 rebounds.  Hammett, a transfer from Lakeland Community College, also led the regulars in field goal percentage (.509) and shot .736 from the free throw line.  Junior Beth Sternberg (East Canton, OH/HS) averaged 12.9 points and led the team in three-points goals (60), three-point percentage (.351) and free throw percentage (.736).  The Cavs return all five starters next year.

MEN'S TRACK: Vincent Shatters Mark in Mile/Qualifies For Nationals

Walsh University competed at the Kent State Tune-up over the weekend.  Paul Vincent (Sr., Garrettsville, OH/Garfield) qualified for the Indoor Nationals in the mile (4:13.84) and shattered Walsh Wall of Famer Jeff Heiser's record in the process.  Vincent finished fifth.  The Cavs 4 x 400 relay team of Steve Mackle (Jr., Malvern, OH/HS), Rob Lash (Fr., Shelby, OH/HS), Gary Robinson (Sr., Tallmadge, OH/HS) and Todd Fisher (Fr., Mansfield, OH/Shelby) hit the provisional standard (3:25:98).  Fisher also qualified provisionally in the 400m (50.91).  Robinson was also was fourth in the high jump (6-06.00) and ninth in the long jump (20-07.00), while Lash placed seventh in the 300m hurdles (42.15).

The Cavs are at Mount Union College this Saturday.

WOMEN'S TRACK: Cavs (10-3) at Kent State Tune-up

Walsh competed at the Kent State Tune-up over the weekend.  Jessica Scheeser (Sr., Green, OH/HS) finished third in the 300m hurdles (48.94).  Mikka Ray (So., Minerva, OH/HS) was 11th in the triple jump (33-01.00). Lindsey Walker (So., Canton, OH/GlenOak) finished 16th in the 400m (1:02.81).  

The Cavs are at Mount Union College this Saturday.

SYNCHRONIZED SWIMMING: Cavs (3-4) Third at Michigan

Walsh (3-4) finished third at the Haze and Blue Meet at the University of Michigan on Sunday.  Ohio State University won the event with 102 points, Michigan finished second with 82, the Cavaliers were third (75) and Grand Valley State University fourth (6.5).  Walsh is at Keuka College (NY) this Saturday.

Annika Castle (So., Fairfax Station, VA/Lake Braddock) finished first in "C" figures (63.81) for the Cavs.  Kristen Mueller (Jr., Mentor, OH/HS) was second (61.933) and Beverlyann Burson (Sr., Houma, LA/Houma Christian) was third (61.252).  The duo of Castle and Meagan Brandon (Sr., Surrey, BC Canada/Earl Marriott) placed third in duet (75.833, with Burson and Mueller placing fourth (70.500).  Brandon, Burson and Mueller finished fourth in trio (71.167) and Christa Hess (Fr., Westlake, OH/Magnificat) was 16th in solo (52.041).

BASEBALL: Cavs Open Season in Kentucky

Walsh opens the season in the Blue Grass state of Kentucky on Friday.  The Cavs play a twin-bill at Campbellsville on Friday, and single games on Saturday against Siena Heights at Lindsey Wilson and against Lindsey Wilson.  Walsh finished 22-29 overall last season and 8-12 in the North Division of the American Mideast Conference.  Veteran Head Coach Tim Mead (428-476-6) returns for his 22nd season.  The Cavs return 18 letter winners from last season.