January 21, 2008

This Week in Walsh University Athletics

Monday, January 21, 2008

Tues. 22 Women's Basketball (H) Urbana University 6 pm

Men's Basketball  (H) Urbana University 8 pm *

Sat. 26 Women's Basketball at University of Rio Grande 2 pm *

Men's Basketball at University of Rio Grande 4 pm *

* Games to be broadcast on AM 900 WCER, Internet at www.wcer.us

MEN'S BASKETBALL: (15-2, 4-0 AMC S) Second Ranked Cavs Extend Win Streak to Seven/Down Two Ranked AMC Foes/Weems over 1,000 Points

NAIA No. 2 Walsh (13-2, 2-0 AMC S) took over sole possession of first place in the American Mideast Conference South Division play with back to back wins over ranked teams last week; the Cavs defeated 5th ranked Mount Vernon Nazarene at home, and then downed 23rd ranked Cedarville University on the road.  Walsh has a one-game lead over Mount Vernon Nazarene (15-2, 3-1 AMC S) in the AMC South.  This week, the Cavs host Urbana University on Tuesday (8 pm) and play at the University of Rio Grande on Saturday (4 pm).  Both games will be broadcast live on AM 900 WCER and on the Internet at www.wcer.us. 

Walsh led from start to finish in defeating 5th ranked Mount Vernon Nazarene (14-2, 2-1 AMC S) 75-70 at Alumni Arena last Tuesday.  The win was the sixth straight for the Cavs.  Walsh raced to a 13-0 lead in the first five plus minutes and led 24-6 with 10:13 to play in the first half.  Mt. Vernon then rallied and trimmed the Cavs led to 34-26 at the half.  Walsh started the second half as they did the first, and expanded the lead to 17 points at 43-26 with 17:25 to play.  It was here that the Cougars came to life, climbing back into the game and cutting the Walsh lead to 45-41 with 12:56 to play.  From this point on the game was nip and tuck.  Mt. Vernon cut the lead to one point on four occassions, the final time at 71-70 with 54 seconds to play.  However, each time the Cavs responded.  With MVNU attempting to take their first lead of the game, Josh Johnson (6-4, Jr., Warren, OH/Harding) stole the ball and then hit two free throws with six seconds to put the Cavs up 73-70.  After another MVNU turnover, Johnson hit two more free throws to ice the game.  He finished with 11 points, all in the second half.  Eder Araujo (7-0, Sr., Sao Paulo, Brazil/Odete de Freitas) recorded a double-double with a game-high 25 points and 13 rebounds.  Corey Jones (6-3, Sr., Avon Lake, OH/Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary) and Kyelce Cescato (6-0, So., Barra Bonita, Brazil/Colmeia Entec) each scored 14 points.  Brandon Weems (5-10, Sr., Akron, OH/ St. Vincent-St. Mary) had a double-double with 11 points and 10 assists.

Walsh extended its current win streak to seven games with a 77-55 rout of 23rd ranked Cedarville University (12-5, 2-2 AMC S) before 2,362 fans at the Callan Athletic Center in Cedarville on Saturday.  For the second straight game Walsh took the early lead (7-0) and led from start to finish.  Kyelce Cescato scored 10 first half points, as the Cavs shot .545 (18-33) from the field and led 41-23 at halftime.  The Cavs defense held the Jackets in check, as Cedarville shot just .276 from the field on 8-29 in the first half.   Despite shooting only .382 in the second half Walsh was never threatened, as Cedarville would come no closer than 14 points.  Walsh held its largest lead at 68-44.  Senior Brandon Weems became the 31st Walsh player to score 1,000 points when he hit a free throw with 57 seconds to play.  Weems finished with 11 points and has exactly 1,000 career points.  Walsh's well balanced offense was led by Eder Araujo's 19 points and 16 rebounds.  Araujo averaged 22.0 points and 14.5 rebounds in the two wins.  Cescato added 14 points and 8 rebounds and Corey Jones scored 11 points.  Walsh held Cedarville to just 21-65 (.323) from the floor and out rebounded the Yellow Jackets 51-39.

Walsh meets AMC South foe Urbana University (3-14, 1-3 AMC S) at Alumni Arena on Tuesday.  The Blue Knights fell 83-67 to Ohio Dominican University on Saturday.  Jo-Jo Peterson leads Urbana in scoring, averaging 12.0 ppg.  Walsh has won eight straight from Urbana and lead the all-time series 48-29.  Walsh travels to the University of Rio Grande (6-12, 1-3 AMC S) on Saturday.  The Redmen bested Wilberforce University 75-56 on Saturday and play at Mount Vernon Nazarene University on Tuesday.  Brandon Ivery leads the Redmen in scoring (14.9 ppg) and rebounding (7.3).  Walsh has won the last six meetings with Rio, but trail 35-43 in the all-time series.

Walsh has four players scoring in twin figures, led by Eder Araujo's 14.6 ppg.  Araujo is also the Cavs' top rebounder at 8.6 per game, which ranks fourth in the AMC.  Araujo leads the AMC in offensive rebounds with 61.  Corey Jones is averaging 11.9 points and is shooting and an AMC best .560 from three-point range.  Jones is also shooting .909 from the foul line.  Weems, who has scored in double figures in seven of his last eight games, is averaging 11.0 points, 4.4 rebounds and AMC leading 6.5 assists.  Josh Johnson is having a solid year; averaging 10.5 ppg, 5.6 rebounds, while shooting .493 from the field and.771 from the charity stripe. 

With a 5-0 mark at home, the Cavs have extended their home winning streak to 21 straight games.  Over the course of the last four years, Walsh is 44-5 (.898) at Alumni Arena and 22-1 the last two years.

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL: Cavs (8-9, 1-3 AMC S) Split AMC South Games

Walsh (8-9, 1-3 AMC S) lost a golden chance to even their American Mideast Conference South Division record last week, when they spilt games with Mount Vernon Nazarene and Cedarville University.  After downing the much improved Cougars at Alumni Arena on Tuesday, Walsh let a big second half lead slip away at Cedarville before falling to the Yellow Jackets.  This week, the Cavs host Urbana University on Tuesday (6 pm) and play at the University of Rio Grande on Saturday (2 pm).  The Rio Grande game will be broadcast live on AM 900 WCER and on the Internet at www.wcer.us.  

Behind Leah Seaman’s (5-8, So., Louisville, OH/HS) 19 second half points, Walsh University won its first AMC South Division game, defeating Mount Vernon Nazarene University (13-4, 1-2 AMC S) 75-59 on Tuesday.  After just scoring just two points in the first half, Seaman carried the Cavs, after Mount Vernon rallied to take the lead at 43-41 with 11:27 to play.  Seaman then scored five straight points, as Walsh took the lead for good at 46-43 with 9:37 to play.  Walsh led by as many as 17 points, as Seaman finished with a game-high 21 points.  Katie Berry (5-11, Fr., Cleveland, OH/St. Joseph) added 15 points and 6 assists and Cara Bedard (6-0, Fr., Mogadore, OH/Waterloo) tallied 11 points and grabbed 9 rebounds.  Dianca Gordon (5-8, So., Akron, OH/Central-Hower) provided a spark off the bench with 6 points and 7 rebounds.

Walsh wasted a 16-point second half lead, and fell 79-74 in an AMC South Division game at Cedarville University (10-7, 3-1 AMC S) on Saturday.  The loss was the 12th straight to the Yellow Jackets.  The Cavs played some of its best basketball of the season in building a 45-32 halftime lead.  Walsh shot .567 (17-30) from the floor in the first half.  The Cavs quickly stretched the lead to 16 points (48-32) 58 seconds into the second half, and kept the lead until the Yellow Jackets whittled away and tied the game at 62 on an Rachel Hurley 3-pointer with 7:52 to play.  Walsh took its final lead at 67-65 on a 3-pointer from Katie Berry.  After the Yellow Jackets regained the lead, Damoniq'e Askew (5-8, Sr., Barberton, OH/HS) tied the game at 69 on a layup with 3:54 left.  The Jackets regained the lead on the next possession and outscored the Cavs 10-5 down the stretch.  Berry led the Cavs with 24 points, shooting 10-15 from the field and 2-3 from 3-point.  Berry also had 5 assists and 4 steals.  Cara Bedard was the only other Cavalier to reach double figures with 11 points.  The Cavs had one of their finest games from the floor in defeat, shooting .527 on 29-55 from the floor.  The Cavs were also 6-10 (.600) from 3-point.  The Yellow Jackets were just as sharp from the floor, shooting .588, which included .654 (17-26) in the second half when they outscored the games 47-29.

Walsh plays host to Urbana University (10-5, 2-2 AMC S) on Tuesday.  The Blue Knights are coming off a 52-51 win over Ohio Dominican University on Saturday and are led by Tia Simms' 13.7 ppg.  Walsh leads the all-time series 24-15.  Walsh is at Rio Grande (14-4, 2-2 AMC S) on Saturday.  The two teams played at Rio Grande on November 17 in the Bevo Francis Tournament, with Rio winning 58-50.  Rio leads the all-time series 16-32.  Rio bested Wilberforce 76-56 on Saturday and are led by Britney Walker's 14.3 points.  They play at Mount Vernon Nazarene on Tuesday. 

Katie Berry leads the Cavs in scoring, averaging 14.6 points.  She is shooting .497 from the field (6th-AMC) and .772 from the foul line (6th-AMC).  Leah Seaman is averaging 12.9 ppg and Cara Bedard is averaging 11.9 points, a team leading 6.8 rebounds and is shooting .533 from the floor. 

INDOOR TRACK (MEN): Cavs 4th at Marietta, Groholy, Weirtz Place 1st

Walsh finished fourth (104 pts.) at the Marietta College Open on Saturday.  Wheeling Jesuit College finished first with 177 points.  Mike Groholy (Sr., Parma, OH/Valley Forge) and Chris Weirtz (Fr., Hudson, OH/Western Reserve) each won events for the Cavs.  Groholy finished first in the 5000m (16:20.06) and Weirtz in the 500m (1:13.13).  Tyler Pierce (So., Salem, OH/HS) finished second in the high jump (5-10.0) and Peter Manfredi (Sr., Euclid, OH/Cleveland Saint Joseph) second in the pole vault (11-06.25).

INDOOR TRACK (WOMEN): Cavs 4th at Marietta, DiNinno 1st in 3,000m

Walsh finished fourth (111.5 pts.) at the Marietta College Open on Saturday.  Seton Hill University won the Open with 143.5 points.  Andrea DiNinno (Jr., Greensburg, PA/Central Catholic) won the 3000m in a time of 11:30.31.  Kristen LeFever (So., Alliance, OH/Marlington) placed second in the 1,000m (3:22.04) and was a member of the Cavs distance medley team that finished second (13:47.82).  Megan Case (Fr., Louisville, OH/HS), Stephanie Sielski (Jr., Lancaster, OH/Fisher Catholic) and DiNinno were the other members of the team.