Monday, January 28, 2008

Tues. 29 Women's Basketball (A) Wilberforce University 5:30 pm *

Men's Basketball (A) Wilberforce University 8 pm *

Sat. 2 Women's Basketball at Shawnee State University 1 pm *

Men's Basketball at Shawnee State University 3 pm *

Indoor Track at Case Western Reserve University Invitational

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

MEN'S BASKETBALL: (16-3, 5-1 AMC S) Urbana Stuns Cavs to Snap Home Streak at 21/Jones Nets Career-High 30 in Win at Rio

NAIA No. 2 Walsh (16-3, 5-1 AMC S) remained in first place in the American Mideast Conference South Division, despite being stunned at home by Urbana University (70-64) on Tuesday night.  The loss snapped the Cavs 21-game home win streak.  Walsh retained sole possession of first place when Mount Vernon Nazarene and Cedarville University also lost on Tuesday night.  The Cavs then bounced back by defeating the University of Rio Grande (87-64) on Saturday.  The Cavs lead Mount Vernon Nazarene (16-3, 4-2 AMC S) and Shawnee State University (10-10, 4-2 AMC S) by a game in the South.  The Cavs continue their three-game road swing at Wilberforce University on Tuesday (8 pm) and at Shawnee State University on Saturday (3 pm).  Both games will be broadcast live on AM 900 WCER and on the Internet at www.wcer.us. 

Urbana University snapped Walsh's 21-game home winning streak, and current seven-game win streak, 70-64 at Walsh's Alumni Arena on Tuesday night.  Despite shooting just .440 in the first half, the Cavs held a 31-28 lead, as Josh Johnson (6-4, Jr., Warren, OH/Harding) snapped a 28-28 tie with a 3-pointer with seven seconds to play in the half.  Urbana set the tone early in the second half, scoring seven points in the first 57 seconds to take a 35-31 lead.  They would hold the lead the rest of the night.  The Blue Knights would push the lead to seven points at 44-37 with 15:09 to play on a Dorian Hoover jumper.  Walsh would rally and cut the lead to one point at 53-52 with 6:30 to play and to three points at 60-57 with 4:03 to play.  It would be as close as the Cavs would come.  Brandon Weems (5-10, Sr., Akron, OH/ St. Vincent-St. Mary) led Walsh with 22 points.  Corey Jones (6-3, Sr., Avon Lake, OH/Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary) and Jeremy Shardo (6-3, Fr., Yorkshire, OH/Versailles) each tallied 12 points and Josh Johnson 11.  Walsh turned the ball over 20 times, 12 times in the second half.

Corey Jones scored a career-high 30 points, and Walsh connected on 27-30 free throws, in an 87-64 come-from-behind AMC South Division win at the University of Rio Grande Saturday afternoon.  Rio Grande built a 10-point first half lead, before the Cavs charged back to lead 40-36 at the half.  Jones and Josh Johnson each tallied ten first half points, along with Lamar Skeeter's (Fr., Dayton, OH/Fairmont Kettering) six first half points.  Jones then torched Rio for 20 second half points, 11 from the foul line, as Walsh pulled away in the final five minutes for their seventh straight win over the Redmen.  Jones finished 8-11 from the field and 13-14 from the foul line.  Johnson finished 7-9 from the field and totaled 18 points.  Eder Araujo (7-0, Sr., Sao Paulo, Brazil/Odete de Freitas) added 12 points and eight assists and Brandon Weems handed out seven assists.  Walsh shot .520 from the field in the second half, and was a perfect 19-19 from the foul line in the second half and 27-30 (.900) for the game.

Walsh travels to Wilberforce University (7-12, 1-5 AMC S) on Tuesday.  The Bulldogs have dropped their last five games and were defeated 88-73 by Cedarville University at home on Saturday night.  Walsh leads the all-time series 14-3 and has won the last seven meetings.  The Cavs head south to Portsmouth, Ohio to meet Shawnee State on Saturday.  The Bears climbed back into the AMC South race with back-to-back wins over Mount Vernon Nazarene and Ohio Dominican University last week.  They defeated ODU 58-55 on Saturday.  Walsh leads the all-time series 25-13 and won 74-60 at home on January 12.  Josh Johnson sparked the Cavs with 13 points and 12 rebounds and Brandon Weems dished out 12 assists.  Walsh has won the last five meetings.   Shawnee State is at Urbana University on Tuesday.

Walsh has four players scoring in twin figures, led by Eder Araujo's 13.8 ppg.  He is five points (995) shy of 1,000 career points.  Araujo is also the Cavs' top rebounder at 8.6 per game, which ranks fourth in the AMC.  Corey Jones is averaging 12.8 points and is shooting and an AMC best .536 from three-point range.  Jones is also shooting .921 from the foul line.  Weems is averaging 11.2 points and an AMC leading 6.4 assists.  He has scored in double figures in eight of his last ten games.  Josh Johnson is having a solid year; averaging 10.9 ppg, 5.5 rebounds, while shooting .500 from the field.  As a team, the Cavs are first in three-point percentage (.427), scoring margin (15.3) and rebound margin (8.7).  The Cavs are second in scoring (84.9 ppg) and free throw percentage (.739).

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL: Cavs (8-10, 1-5 AMC S) Slide Continues

Walsh's (8-10, 1-5 AMC S) losing streak reached a season-high three games, after falling to Urbana University and the University of Rio Grande last week.  The Cavs have lost five of their last six games and are tied for last place with Wilberforce University (5-13, 1-5 AMC S).  Something has to give on Tuesday, when Walsh travels to Wilberforce for a 5:30 pm AMC South contest.  Walsh then closes its three-game road trip at NAIA No. 9 Shawnee State University (18-2, 6-0 AMC S) on Saturday at 1 pm.  Both games will be broadcast live on AM 900 WCER and on the Internet at www.wcer.us. 

Urbana University outscored Walsh 43-26 in the second half, on their way to a 68-55 AMC South Division win at Alumni Arena on Tuesday.  Each team shot below .300 in the first half, as Walsh held a 29-25 halftime lead.  The Cavs held the lead until Urbana tied the game at 43 with 10:58 to play.  After a steal and basket, the Blue Knights took the lead for good at 45-43.  The visitor's then nailed a 3-ball to put them up 48-43 with 9:39 to play.  Walsh would cut the lead to three points at 55-52, but would get no closer.  Cara Bedard (6-0, Fr., Mogadore, OH/Waterloo) led the Cavs with 19 points.  Leah Seaman (5-8, So., Louisville, OH/HS) added 11 points and Dianca Gordon (5-8, So., Akron, OH/Central-Hower) had 10 rebounds.  

Walsh committed 31 turnovers in a 72-50 AMC South Division loss to NAIA No. 20 University of Rio Grande on Saturday.  Walsh shot 45% in the first half and trailed by just three points (34-31) at the break.  The second half was all Rio, as the defensive minded Redwomen held the Cavs to just 19 points.  Walsh managed just 8-25 from the field in the second half.   Leah Seaman led Walsh with 11 points, with Darlene Woolf (5-7, Fr., East Rochester, OH/United) adding 10 off the bench.   

Walsh travels to Wilberforce on Tuesday.  The Bulldogs snapped an eight-game losing streak with a 71-68 upset win over Cedarville University on Saturday.  Walsh leads the all-time series 10-5.  The Cavs and AMC South leader Shawnee State meet in Portsmouth on Saturday.  The Bears have won seven straight games, and squeaked by Ohio Dominican University 71-69 on Saturday.  The Cavs and Bears met at Walsh on January 12, with Shawnee coming away with a 73-61 win.  Walsh led 47-40 in the second half, but couldn't hold on.  Katie Berry (5-11, Fr., Cleveland, OH/St. Joseph Academy) led the Cavs with 20 points in the first meeting, with Leah Seaman adding 18.  Shawnee has dominated the all-time series, leading 32-4 with 18 wins in the last 19 meetings.   

Katie Berry leads the Cavs in scoring, averaging 13.8 points.  Leah Seaman is averaging 12.7 ppg and is shooting a team-best .800 from the foul line.  Cara Bedard is averaging 12.1 points, a team leading 6.9 rebounds and is shooting .514 from the floor.