This Week in Walsh University Athletics
Monday, January 11, 2010
Tues. 12
Women's Basketball at Mt. Vernon Nazarene 5:30 pm (AM 900 WCER, www.wcer.us )
Men's Basketball at Mt. Vernon Nazarene University 7:30 pm (AM 900 WCER, www.wcer.us )
Fri. 15
Women's Basketball (H) Shawnee State University 6 pm
Men's Basketball (H) Shawnee State University 8 pm (AM 900 WCER, www.wcer.us )
Sat. 16
Indoor Track at Marietta College Open 11 am
MEN'S BASKETBALL: NAIA No. 2 Cavs Face AMC Foes
NAIA No. 2 (new poll released today) Walsh (14-1, 4-0 AMC) remained unbeaten in the American Mideast Conference South Division after downing the University of Northwestern Ohio 81-63 last Saturday. Walsh is the only unbeaten team in the AMC South game and lead the division. This week the Cavs travel to Mount Vernon Nazarene University (AMC) on Tuesday night (7:30 pm) and host Shawnee State University (AMC) on Friday night (8 pm). Both games will be broadcast live on AM 900 WCER (www.wcer.us).
Walsh opened their two-game week with a 109-56 rout of Algoma University on Monday at home. The Cavs shot 58% from the field and placed four players in twin figures in the win. Ricky Jackson (6-7, Sr., Chicago, IL/Canton McKinley/West Virginia State) led the attack with 28 points on 10-13 shooting from the field. He was also 7-9 from the foul line and grabbed eight rebounds. Brandon Speck (6-0, Sr., Mansfield, OH/St. Peter's) added 16 points off the bench on 6-10 from the floor and 4-8 from three-point. Kyelce Cescato (6-10, Sr., Barra Bonita, Brazil/Colmeia Entec) added 14 points on 6-7 from the floor and grabbed a game-high nine rebounds. Jeremy Shardo (6-3, Jr., Yorkshire, OH/Versailles)handed out eight assists.
Walsh had a tougher time with the University of Northwestern Ohio on Saturday, but outlasted the Racers 81-63 to sweep the season series. Walsh led 37-31 at the half, but pulled away in the final 12 minutes and a held a double-digit lead the rest of the way. Ricky Jackson sparkled with 27 points and 12 rebounds. Jackson scored 55 points in the Cavs two wins. Brandon Speck added 13 points off the bench and Kyelce Cescato chipped in 10 points and eight rebounds. L.J. Sutton (6-5, So., Youngstown, OH/Cardinal Mooney) added 10 rebounds as Walsh outrebounded the Racers 50-32. Jeremy Shardo again handed out eight assists.
Walsh plays at Mount Vernon Nazarene University (8-8, 1-3 AMC) on Tuesday. The Cougars come to Walsh on February 16. MVNU notched their first AMC win with an upset of Daemen College (67-66) last week. Walsh leads the all-time series 39-26 and swept the season series last year. Walsh will host Shawnee State University (5-11, 2-1) on Friday. The Cavs travel to Portsmouth on February 13. The Bears have won two straight. They play at Wilberforce University on Tuesday and at Notre Dame College on Thursday. Walsh leads the all-time series 27-13 and has won the last seven meetings.
Walsh's balanced attack has six players in double figures, led by Ricky Jackson's 23.0 ppg (2nd AMC, 8th NAIA). Jackson leads the AMC in FG% (.626) and is fourth in the NAIA. He is also averaging 8.1 rebounds per game. Lamar Skeeter (6-0, Jr., Dayton, OH/Kettering Fairmount) has returned to the starting lineup and is averaging 12.4 points. He is shooting .548 from the field and .400 from three-point. Eric Schiele (6-0, Jr., Atwater, OH/Waterloo/Cleveland State) is averaging 10.9 points and 4.1 rebounds off the bench. Brandon Speck is averaging 10.6 points and leads the AMC in assist/turnover ratio (3.27). L.J. Sutton is scoring at a 10.4 clip and is shooting .526 from the field and is pulling down 6.4 rebounds. Jeremy Shardo is averaging 10.2 points and is shooting .800 from the line and leads the AMC in assists (7.4, 2nd-NAIA). He also leads team with 38 steals. Kyelce Cescato is averaging 9.7 points and a team-best 8.3 rebounds. Cescato is shooting .615 from the field.
The Cavs are averaging a NAIA best 98.1 points per game and are allowing just 61.9 ppg (1st-AMC, 4th-NAIA). Walsh also leads the NAIA in scoring margin (36.8), field goal percentage (.529), defensive FG% (.365) rebounds per game (51.3), rebound margin (21.4) and assists per game (21.5) and assist/turnover ratio (1.6).
The Cavs and Oregon Tech own the NAIA Division II active streak for longest run in the Top 25 at 55 straight weeks -- the last time either was not ranked was Jan. 11, 2005. Walsh has won 28 straight home games and 49 of their last 50.
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL: Cavs Take Three-Game Win Streak on Road
Walsh (11-5, 4-1 AMC, NAIA 33rd, new ranking today) takes their three-game win streak to Mount Vernon Nazarene University (8-3, 2-2 AMC) on Tuesday night. The Cavs are then home to NAIA No. 4 Shawnee State University (11-2, 3-0 AMC) on Friday. Walsh is tied with Cedarville University (13-3, 4-1 AMC) for third place in the AMC. Shawnee State and Point Park University (7-4, 3-0 AMC) are tied for the AMC lead. The Cavs/Mt. Vernon Nazarene game will be broadcast live on AM 900 WCER (www.wcer.us).
Walsh led from start-to-finish in their road rout (93-39) of Ursuline College last Tuesday. Katie Berry (5-11, Jr., Cleveland, OH/St. Joseph's) poured in 26 points on 10-14 from the field. Kayla Kovach (6-0, So., Lakewood, OH/HS/IPFW) added 14 points and seven rebounds and Kristi Yoder (6-1, So., Millersburg, OH/Hiland) chipped in 14 points and seven rebounds off the bench. Cara Bedard (6-0, Jr., Randolph, OH)/Waterloo) tallied 12 points on 5-7 from the field.
Walsh ran away from the University of Northwestern Ohio in the final 12 minutes to post a 96-76 win over the Racers on Saturday. The win avenged an earlier loss at UNOH (73-57). Jessie Miller (5-10, Sr., Strasburg, OH/HS) and Bedard each recorded big games, as Katie Berry missed the game due to the flu. Miller paced the Cavs with 26 points on 10-16 from the field, while the steady Bedard hit 8-11 from field and 4-5 from the line for 20 points. She also grabbed 10 rebounds. Bedard is now 76 points shy of 1,000 career points. Kovach also played big with 18 points and a game-high 11 rebounds. Walsh outrebounded the Racers 43-28.
Walsh and Mount Vernon play the first of two AMC game on Tuesday. The Cougars come to Walsh on February 16. Mt. Vernon has received votes in the NAIA poll and stand 27th. Walsh leads the all-time series 34-19. The teams have split the season series in each of the last four seasons. Walsh and AMC co-leader Shawnee State tangle on Friday. The Bears have a tough week, with road games at Wilberforce University on Tuesday and Notre Dame College on Thursday. They begin the week with three straight wins. Shawnee has dominated the series with Walsh, holding a 34-4 advantage. They have won the last five meetings and 20 of the last 21.
Katie Berry leads the Cavs in scoring at 15.5 ppg. Berry is shooting .483 from the field, .420 from three-point and .741 from the line. She also leads the Cavs with 81 assists (5.4) and 40 steals. Jessie Miller is next at 14.9 points, Miller is shooting .456 from the field and .412 from three-point. Cara Bedard is averaging 14.6 points and a team-best 6.3 rebounds. Bedard is second in the AMC and 6th in the NAIA in field goal percentage (.623) and second in the AMC and eighth in the NAIA in blocked shots (36, 2.25). Kayla Kovach is averaging 11.3 points and 5.8 rebounds. Kovach is shooting .507 from the floor and is second in the AMC and 15th in the NAIA in free throw percentage (.843).
INDOOR TRACK: Cavs Open Season on Saturday
Walsh's men and women open the indoor track season at the Marietta College Open on Saturday. Action gets underway at 11 am.
