January 17, 2005

MEN'S BASKETBALL: Cavs (12-5, 6-1) Extend Win Streak to Five/Host Cedarville in Battle for First on Saturday

Walsh (12-5, 6-1) swept two American Mideast Conference South games last week to run their win streak to five, and remain tied for first place with NAIA No. 5 Cedarville University (16-4, 6-1 AMC S).  This week, the two teams play the first of two meetings at Walsh on Saturday (4 pm).  In one of the busiest weeks of the season, Walsh is also home to NAIA No. 21 Ohio Dominican University (11-5, 4-3) on Tuesday (8 pm) and travel to Daemen College (13-5) for an AMC crossover game on Thursday (7:30 pm).  The Cedarville and Ohio Dominican games will be aired live on AM 900 WCER and on the Internet at www.wcer.us.

Walsh rallied from seven points down in the second half to defeat Malone College (11-7, 2-4) 82-76, before a standing room only crowd (1,252) at the Physical Education Center last Tuesday.  The two teams meet for the Mayor's Cup at Malone on Tuesday, February 8.  Walsh scored the games first ten points and held the largest lead for either side at 10-0.  Malone rallied and outscored the Cavs 27-15 to take their first lead at 27-25 with 4:55 to play in the first half.  The Cavs charged late in the half and regained the halftime lead at 32-31 on a three-pointer by Corey Jones (Fr., Avon Lake, OH/Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary) and a basket by Randy Sistrunk (Sr., Canton, OH/McKinley) with 49 seconds to play in the half.   Walsh quickly extended their lead to six points (37-31) in the first two minutes of the second half, when Malone caught fire.   The Pioneers outscored the Cavs 27-14 in the next eight minutes to take a 58-51 lead.  Then the Randy Sistrunk Show began.  Sistrunk scored eight straight points to erase the Malone lead and give the Cavs the lead for good at 59-58 with 7:29 to play.  The teams traded baskets, before Walsh extended the lead to five points at 67-62 with 4:59 to play.  Malone cut the lead to 69-66 with 4:23 to play, but would get no closer.  Rob Whaley (Sr., Benton Harbor, MI/HS) hit two straight baskets and Sistrunk followed with a three-pointer, and Walsh led 76-68 with 2:51 to play.  Four of the Cavs five starters reached double figures, led by Sistrunk and Whaley, who tallied 18 points each.  Sistrunk also grabbed 11 rebounds.  Jason Hicks (So., Cleveland, OH/Villa Angela-St. Joseph) added 16 points and Corey Jones 15.  Hicks came fresh out of the hospital, after spending Monday night there with the flu.  Walsh shot .576 from the field in the second half and out-rebounded Malone 48-33.  The Cavs also received eight points and seven rebounds from Adam Lesch (So., Newark, OH/HS) and eight rebounds and six assists from Brandon Weems (Fr., Akron, OH/St. Vincent-St. Mary).

Walsh remained in a first place tie with Cedarville University (6-1) in the AMC South, with an impressive 89-63 rout of NAIA No. 16 University of Rio Grande (15-5, 4-3) in Bob Evans Country on Saturday night.  It was the Cavs most lopsided win ever at Rio.  The win was also the Cavs third straight AMC South road win.  Walsh trailed 26-24 in the first half, when they went on an 18-3 run to close the half and take control of the game.  The second half was all Walsh, as they outscored Rio 47-34 and at one time led by 39 points.  Corey Jones exploded for a career-high 25 points, hitting 9-11 from the field and 7-9 from three-point.  Randy Sistrunk played another solid game with 22 points.  Rob Whaley added 11 points and Brandon Weems tallied 10 points off the bench.  The Cavs shot .600 from the field in the first half and .625 in the second half.  They finished the night 35-57 from the field for .614. 

Ohio Dominican comes to Walsh on the heels of a two-game losing streak.  The Panthers, ranked number 21 in the NAIA last week, lost back-to-back games to Shawnee State (81-76) and to co-AMC leader Cedarville (88-76).  Haze Massey leads ODU in scoring, averaging 18.2 ppg.  Walsh and ODU split the season series last year, with each team posting road wins.  The Cavs lead the all-time series 52-20.  The Cavs hit the road for New York State on Thursday, for an AMC crossover game with Daemen. The Warriors are 13-5 overall and 4-0 in the AMC North, just one-half game behind North leader Saint Vincent (5-0).  They have won four straight and play at Seton Hill on Monday night.  Walsh leads the all-time series 7-2, but lost the last meeting 83-68 in 2002-03.  Two-time defending AMC champion Cedarville comes to Walsh on Saturday.  The NAIA fifth-ranked Yellow Jackets won twice last week (Urbana, Ohio Dominican), after suffering their first AMC loss at Mount Vernon Nazarene, 76-75 on January 8.  The Jackets are home on Tuesday to meet Tiffin (6-9, 2-5), before coming to Walsh.  Mugabe Thomas leads an explosive attack, averaging 17.8 ppg and 9.9 rebounds.  Cedarville took both games last season and have won the last five games with the Cavaliers. The all-time series is tied at 33.

The Cavs have protected their home court, with eight wins in nine games.  University of Cincinnati transfer, Rob Whaley leads the Cavs in scoring, averaging 16.7 points.  Whaley is also averaging 7.1 rebounds.  Randy Sistrunk leads the team in rebounding (8.5) and is second in scoring (13.2).  Sistrunk averaged 20 points per game in Walsh's two wins last week.  Corey Jones is also in double figures, averaging 12.8 points.

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL: Cavs (9-8, 3-4) Down Malone, Lose at Rio Grande/Celebrate 25 Years on Saturday

Walsh split (9-9, 3-4) split AMC South games last week and stand fifth in the conference standings.  Walsh downed Malone 75-64, but lost to 16th ranked NAIA Rio Grande 67-50.  This week the Cavs host Ohio Dominican University (11-9, 2-5) on Tuesday (6 pm) and AMC South leader and NAIA No. 2 Cedarville University (19-1, 7-0) on Saturday (2 pm).  The Cavs will also celebrate the first 25 years of the program on Saturday night.  For more details, contact Head Coach Theresa Berg at 330-490-7012.

Walsh won its third straight game, defeating Malone College (9-8, 2-5) 75-64 in an AMC South game at Walsh on Tuesday.  The win was the fourth straight for the Cavs over the Pioneers.  The two teams meet for the Mayor's Cup at Malone on Tuesday, February 8.  Walsh held Malone to just .290 from the field in the first half in building a 32-27 halftime advantage.  The Cavs never trailed in the second half and led by as many as 12 points (73-61) with 27 seconds to play.  Walsh placed four of five starters in double figures.  Beth Sternberg (So., East Canton, OH/HS) paced the Cavs with 16 points, 13 coming in the second half.  Dionna Hammett (Jr., Warrensville Hts., OH/St. Peter Chanel) recorded her fourth straight double-double by scoring 14 points and pulling down a game-high 13 rebounds.  LeAnne Ware (Jr., Alliance, OH/Marlington) also added 14 points and Jessy Fye (Sr., Canton, OH/HS) scored 12 points and grabbed nine rebounds. 

NAIA No. 16  University of Rio Grande (16-5, 6-1) used a strong defensive effort in the second half to halt Walsh's three-game streak, 67-50 at Rio on Saturday.  The Redwomen outscored the Cavaliers 37-20 in the second half, after the game was tied at 30-30 at the half.  Walsh trailed 52-47 with 10 minutes to play when the bottom fell out.  Rio went on a 12-0 to put the game away, as the Cavs went ice cold from the field.  The Cavs could muster just five baskets in the second half and just one in the final nine minutes.  Beth Sternberg and LeAnne Ware paced the Cavs with 12 points each.  Each player hit four three-pointers.  Dionna Hammett had her string of double-doubles stopped at four, as she tallied seven points.  Hammett did however rebound in double digits with 10.  Hammett leads the Cavs in scoring (13.8 ppg), rebounding (9.7 rpg) and field goal percentage (.516).  Sternberg is averaging 12.1 points.

Ohio Dominican comes to Walsh on a two-game losing streak.  The Panthers lost 83-67 to AMC South leader Cedarville on Saturday.  Sarah Wheeler leads the Panthers in scoring at 13.2 ppg.  Walsh and ODU split the season series last year, with each team posting road wins.  The Cavs lead the all-time series 33-9.  Second ranked Cedarville starts the week on a seven-game win streak.  The Yellow Jackets are also 7-0 on the road.  They host Tiffin in an AMC South game on Tuesday.  The Jackets are led by Brittany Smart (21.6 ppg) and AMC South Player of the Year Kari Flunker (18.4).  Walsh leads the all-time series 13-11, but have lost the last five meetings.