February 7, 2005

MEN'S BASKETBALL: Cavs (19-5, 12-1) Extend Win Streak to 12 Games/Battle Malone For Mayor's Cup and at Cedarville

NAIA No. 5 Walsh (19-5, 12-1 AMC S) won two more American Mideast Conference South games last week, and lead second place Cedarville University (20-6, 10-3 AMC S) by two games with five games to play in the regular season.  The Cavs and the NAIA 12th ranked Yellow Jackets meet at Cedarville on Saturday night.  The two victories also extended the Cavs current win streak to 12 games, the longest since 1997-98, when they opened the season with 13 straight wins.  Last week, Walsh won twice at home to improve their home court record to 12-1.  The Cavs tripped Mount Vernon Nazarene University 71-61 and trounced the University of Rio Grande 81-47.  This week, the Cavs travel across town to face Malone College (16-11, 7-7 AMC S) in the annual Mayor's Cup game at 7:30 and travel southwest to Cedarville on Saturday at 7:30 pm.  Both games will be aired live on 900 AM WCER and on the Internet at www.wcer.us.

Walsh won its 11th straight game, defeating Mount Vernon Nazarene 71-61 last Tuesday.  The Cavs shot 52% in the first half in building a 38-28 halftime lead and then extended the lead to 14 points (44-30) with 18:11 to play.  The Cougars then went on a 15-6 run to trim the lead to 50-45 in the second half, but would get no closer.  Walsh shut down MVNU's three-point attack, holding the Cougars to just 3-10 from behind arc.  The Cavs countered by hitting 7-15 three-pointers.  Walsh placed four players in double figures, led by Rob Whaley's (Sr., Benton Harbor, MI) 19 points and 15 rebounds.  Corey Jones (Fr., Avon Lake, OH/Akron St. Vincent) added 16 points, Randy Sistrunk (Sr., Canton, OH/McKinley) 15 and Jason Hicks (So., Cleveland, OH/Villa Angela St. Joseph) 11. The win gave the Cavs as series (2-0) sweep of the Cougars for the first time since the 1995-96 season. 

Walsh won its 12th straight game, defeating the University of Rio Grande 81-47 on Wall of Fame Saturday.  The Cavs led from start to finish in the win, building a 17-point first half lead, and leading 36-22 at halftime.  Rio Grande scored the first four points of the second half, to close the lead to 36-26, but would get no closer.  The Cavs then went on a 12-point run to put the game away.  Walsh shot 55% in the second half and held their largest lead at 36 points (73-37, 79-43).  Rob Whaley led the Cavs with 20 points and five assists.  Randy Sistrunk added 18 points and eight rebounds and Corey Jones tallied ten points.  Walsh out rebounded Rio 39-28 and had 23 assists.  The win gave the Cavs as series (2-0) sweep of the Redmen for the first time since the 1996-97 season. 

Walsh and Malone renew their rivalry on Tuesday night at Osborne Hall in the 41st Annual Mayor's Cup game.  Walsh can retire "The Cup" with a win.  Three consecutive wins in the designated game are required.  Walsh has won the last five Mayor's Cup game and lead the Cup series 22-18.  Walsh has retired the valued trophy three times, the last time in 2001-02.  The Cavs have won nine of the last ten Mayor's Cup games.  Walsh also leads the all-time series 51-38.  Malone comes into Tuesday's game on a two-game win streak.  They defeated Wilberforce University 94-65 on Saturday night.  Walsh won the first meeting with Malone, 82-76, at Walsh on January 11.  Rob Whaley and Randy Sistrunk each scored 18 points in the win and Jason Hicks added 16 points.  Malone's Shane Conwell, the AMC's second leading scorer, poured in 29 points in the first meeting.  He is averaging 23.8 ppg.  Tyler Renner made his Malone debut against the Cavs, and tallied 19 points and grabbed 12 rebounds.  Renner is averaging 18.1 points and 8.6 rebounds.  The Pioneers average 87.1 points per game.

Walsh can take a major step toward clinching the AMC South title, if they can knock off defending champion Cedarville on Saturday night.  The Cavs won the first meeting 82-68, at Walsh, on January 22.  Rob Whaley poured in a season-high 29 points for the Cavs.  The Yellow Jackets come into the week on a three-game winning streak.  They escaped the upset on Saturday night by edging Ohio Dominican University 69-66.  The Jackets have a demanding week, playing three games.  They travel to Urbana University on Tuesday and to Rio Grande on Thursday for a make-up game. Walsh leads the all-time series 34-33. 

Rob Whaley leads Walsh in scoring (18.0 ppg) and is second in rebounding (7.5 rpg).  Whaley has reached double figures in scoring in 24 of Walsh's 25 games.  During the Cavs 12-game winning streak, Whaley has averaged 17.5 points and 7.7 rebounds.  He has recorded seven double-doubles.  Randy Sistrunk leads the team in rebounding (8.) rpg) and is second to Whaley in scoring (14.2 ppg).  Sistrunk also has seven double-doubles and has scored in doubles figures in all but three games.  During Walsh's win streak, the Cavs have won by an average of 13.5 points per game and shot better than .500 from the field five times.  The Cavs have also taken great care of the basketball during the streak, with 66 more assists than turnovers.

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL: Cavs (11-12, 5-8) Split Games/Face Malone For Cup Next

Walsh (11-12, 5-8 AMC S) put a halt to their three-game losing streak last week, with an 83-60 thumping of Mount Vernon Nazarene.  However, the Cavs ended the week with an 83-66 loss to NAIA No. 20 Rio Grande at home on Saturday.  The Cavs, who are fighting for their post-season lives, have two-big games this week.  First, they travel across town to Malone College (14-11, 7-7 AMC S) for the annual Mayor's Cup game on Tuesday (5:30 pm) and travel to Cedarville University (25-1, 13-0), to meet the NAIA top ranked Yellow Jackets on Saturday (5:30 pm).  Tuesday's game will be aired live on AM 900 WCER and on the Internet at www.wcer.us and Saturday's game is available on Teamline.  The Cavs are 7th in the AMC South.

Walsh snapped a three-game losing streak, with a 83-60 win over Mount Vernon Nazarene University in an American Mideast Conference South Division game last Tuesday.  Walsh led 36-31 at the half and coasted in the final 20 minutes, out scoring the Cougars 47-29.  The Cavs placed four players in double figures, led by Beth Sternberg's (Jr., East Canton, OH/HS) 16 points.  Dionna Hammett (Jr., Warrensville Hts. OH/St. Peter Chanel), added 14 points and a game-high 12 rebounds.  Jessy Fye (Sr., Canton, OH/Perry) and Jessica Douglass (So., Cambridge, OH/HS)each scored 13 points. 

The Cavs modest one-game win streak was halted by NAIA No. 20 University of Rio Grande, 83-66, on Wall of Fame Saturday.   Rio Grande shot 52% in the first half and led 39-33 at the break.  Walsh fell behind by 10 points (52-42) with 12:33 to play, then closed the lead to four points (54-50) with 10:48 to play, but would get no closer.  Walsh's Dionna Hammett led all scorers with 20 points and a game-high 14 rebounds.  Beth Sternberg added 13 points and LeAnne Ware (Jr., Alliance, OH/Marlington) 11 points.

Walsh and Malone meet in the 9th Annual Mayor's Cup game at Osborne Hall on Tuesday.  The Cup series is tied at 4-4 and Walsh can retire the Cup for the first time with a win on Tuesday.  Walsh has won the last five meetings with the Pioneers, but trail 28-25 in the all-time series.  Walsh won the first meeting, 75-64, at the Physical Education Center on January 11.  Beth Sternberg tallied 16 points to pace the Cavs.  Dionna Hammett added a double-double with 14 points and 13 rebounds and LeAnne Ware added 14 points.  Nikki Parson led Malone with 19 points and 12 rebounds.  Michelle Ling added 17 points.  Ling leads Malone in scoring (19.7 ppg).  Parson is averaging 18.7 points and leads the team in rebounding (9.2 rpg).  The Pioneers have won three of their last four games and stand 6th in the AMC South. 

The Cavs and top ranked Cedarville University meet in Southern Ohio on Saturday.  The Yellow Jackets have won their last 12 games and trounced Ohio Dominican University 105-59 last Saturday.  The Cavs gave the Yellow Jackets a scare in their first meeting, January 22 at Walsh, before falling 101-92.  Dionna Hammett poured in 26 points for the Cavs in the loss.  Cedarville's Brittany Smart tallied 25 points and Kari Flunker 20.  Smart leads the Jackets, averaging 21.5 points.  Walsh leads the all-time series 13-12, but have lost the last six meetings. 

The Cavs' Dionna Hammett leads the team in scoring (15.2 ppg) and rebounding (10.4 rpg).  Hammett leads the team with 13 double-doubles and is one of only three players in the AMC to average a double-double.  Walsh University Wall of Famer Ann Alpeter was the last Cavalier to average a double-double.  Alpeter turned the trick in 1989-90, when she averaged 12.8 points and 10.6 rebounds.

MEN'S TRACK: Cavs (4-7) Fourth at Mount Union/Produce Indoor National Qualifiers

Walsh (4-7) finished fourth at the Mount Union College Invitational, but had many bright spots at the indoor meet.  Gary Robinson (Sr., Tallmdage, OH/HS) qualified in the high jump (6'8") and is a provisional qualifier in the long jump (22' 8 /12").  He won both events.  Last week, he qualified in the pentathlon.  Rob Lash (Fr., Shelby, OH/HS) also qualified provisionally in the 55m hurdles (7.98).  Paul Vincent (Sr., Garrettsville, OH/Garfield) finished first and shattered a long-standing record held by Wall of Fame Jeff Heiser in the 10,000m, with a record time of 2:33.30.  The Cavs also qualified their distance medley relay team at Case Western Reserve on Friday.  Steve Mackle (Jr., Malvern, OH/HS), Todd Fisher (Fr., Mansfield, OH/Shelby), Chris Zundel (So., Madison, OH/HS) and Paul Vincent qualified in a time of 10:26.93.

The Cavs are at the University of Findlay on Friday.

WOMEN'S TRACK: Cavs (10-3) Fourth at Mount Union/Greller Captures Wt. Throw/Two Relay Teams Win

Walsh (10-3) finished fourth at the Mount Union College Invitational on Saturday.  Senior Sheila Greller (Fairview Park, OH/Magnificat) captured the weight throw, with a toss of 45'.  The Cavs also produced winners in the 4 x 160 and 4 x 400 meter relays.  Lindsey Walker (So., Canton, OH/GlenOak), Jessica LeGrair (So., Copley, OH/HS), Jessica Scheeser (Sr., Green, OH/HS) and Casey Fischer (Fr., Aurora, OH/HS) won the 4 x 160 in a time of 1:27.3.  Walker and Scheeser then teamed with Nicole Rogers (Sr., Akron, OH/Green) and Meghan Patton (So., Parma, OH/Holy Name) to win the 4 x 400 in a time of 4:16.0

The Cavs are at the University of Findlay on Friday.