January 31, 2005

MEN'S BASKETBALL: 7th Ranked Cavs (17-5, 10-1) Extend Win Streak to Ten/Lead Cedarville By Two Games

NAIA No. 7 Walsh (17-5, 10-1) swept two American Mideast Conference South road games last week to extend their current win streak to ten games.  The streak is the longest for the Cavs since 1997-98, when they opened the season with 13 straight wins.  Walsh is in first place in the AMC South and hold a two-game lead over second place Cedarville University, with seven games to play.  With the two road AMC wins, the Cavs improved their AMC South road mark to 5-0.  Last week, Walsh rolled over Urbana University 88-72 on Tuesday and downed Wilberforce University 90-71 on Saturday.  The Cavs are home for two AMC South games this week, Tuesday against Mount Vernon Nazarene University (17-7, 7-5) and Saturday against the University of Rio Grande (16-7, 5-5).  Both games will be aired live on 900 AM WCER and on the Internet at www.wcer.us. Walsh will also celebrate the induction of former Head Coach, the late Steve Loy and basketball star Greg Geig, with induction into the Wall of Fame on Friday night and Saturday afternoon. 

Walsh celebrated its rise in the NAIA rankings (18 to 7), with an 88-72 win at Urbana University (5-16, 4-5).  The Cavs shot a blistering .606 (20-33) from the field in the first half and led 48-35 at halftime.  Rob Whaley (Sr., Benton Harbor, MI/HS), fresh off AMC Player of the Week honors, scored 17 of his game-high 23 points in the first half.  The Cavs held a 12-point lead in the early moments of the second half when Jason Hicks (So., Cleveland, OH/Villa Angela-St. Joseph) hit back-to-back three-pointers to give the Cavs an 18-point advantage.  The Cavs coasted from that point.  Hicks, Corey Jones (Fr., Avon Lake, OH/Akron Saint Vincent-St. Mary) and Randy Sistrunk (Sr., Canton, OH/McKinley) each tallied 18 points.  Whaley also grabbed a game-high eight rebounds, as Walsh out rebounded the Blue Knights 42-26.  The win gives the Cavs a season series sweep (2-0) of the Blue Knights. 

Walsh won its tenth straight game, 90-71, at Wilberforce University (6-19, 1-11).  Walsh shot .536 in the first half, in building a 38-21 lead they would not relinquish.  The Cavs out scored the Bulldogs 52-50 in the second half and led by as many as 30 points (88-58).   Brandon Weems (Fr., Akron, OH/St. Vincent-St. Mary) started in place of former high school teammate Corey Jones, and responded with 14 points.  Jones suffered a cut to the forehead in practice on Thursday and did not play.  He is expected to be back in the line-up on Tuesday against Mount Vernon Nazarene.   Randy Sistrunk posted his team leading seventh double-double with 19 points and 14 rebounds.  Rob Whaley added 19 points and grabbed nine rebounds.  The Cavs shot .529 in the second half and .532 for the game.  They also out rebounded the Bulldogs 48-25 and held the home team to only .397 from the field. 

The Cavs have won by an average of 11.7 points during their ten game win streak.  But in the last three games, they have won by an average of 16.3 points.  Six of the wins during the streak have come away from home.  The Cavs host Mount Vernon Nazarene on Tuesday.  The Cougars are coming off a 76-63 loss at Cedarville on Saturday night.  Walsh defeated the Cougars at Mount Vernon, 66-64 on January 4.  Rob Whaley scored 22 points and grabbed 13 rebounds in the win.  Randy Sistrunk added 16 points and 13 rebounds.  The Cavs held the Cougars to .385 from the field.  Mark Hess, who scored 19 points in the first meeting, is averaging 17.2 points and 7.5 rebounds to lead the Cougars.  Walsh leads the all-time series 34-22.  The University of Rio Grande travels to North Canton for Saturday's 4 pm start.  The Redmen have lost their last two games, including a 98-73 loss at Malone College on Saturday.  The Cavs posted one of their finest conference road wins in years at Rio Grande on January 15, when they downed the Redmen 89-63.  Corey Jones hit 7-9 three-pointers and paced the Cavs with 25 points.  Sean Plummer, who leads the Redmen in scoring (10.8 ppg), led his team with 14 points.  Rio Grande leads the all-time series 43-30.

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL: Cavs (10-11, 4-7) Fall Twice, Losing Skid at Three

Walsh (10-11, 4-7) fell twice last week, losing 77-75 to Urbana University on Thursday and 95-75 at Wilberforce University on Saturday.  The Cavs have now dropped their last three games and are tied for 7th place with Ohio Dominican University in the American Mideast Conference South Division. Walsh looks to halt the slide at home against Mount Vernon Nazarene (5-16, 1-11) on Tuesday at 6 pm.  Walsh is also home on Saturday for NAIA No. 17 University of Rio Grande (18-6, 7-3) at 2 pm.  Both are American Mideast Conference South games.  Walsh will also celebrate the induction of basketball star Jill Hanigofsky, with induction into the Wall of Fame on Friday night and Saturday afternoon. 

Despite a furious second half rally, Walsh fell 77-75 to Urbana University.  Walsh shot just 24% in the first half and trailed 40-25 at the break.  The Cavs led 15-12 with 14:03 to play in the first half, when the Blue Knights went on a 18-1 run over the next seven minutes to take a 30-15 lead.  They would stretch the lead to 18 points at 36-18 with 2:44 left in the half.   Walsh chopped into the lead right away in the second half.   The Cavs trimmed the lead to six points (47-41) in the first five minutes of the half and to one point (57-56) with 10:39 to play.  The Cavs had a chance to take the lead on their next possession, but turned the ball over.  Urbana would extend the lead back to 11 points (70-61) over the next six minutes, when the Cavs put together one more rally.  Walsh closed the lead to two points at 75-73 with 27 seconds and trailed 77-75 with 3.5 seconds, but missed a half-court shot at the buzzer. Walsh placed four players in double figures, led by Beth Sternberg (Jr., East Canton, OH/HS) and Dionna Hammett (Jr., Warrensville Hts. OH/St. Peter Chanel), who each scored 16 points.  LeAnne Ware (Jr., Alliance, OH/Marlington) added 15 points and Jessy Fye (Sr., Canton, OH/Perry) 12 points.  Hammett and Ingrid Brainard (So., Madison, OH/HS) each had 10 rebounds.

Walsh lost its third game in a row, falling 95-75 at Wilberforce University (10-9, 6-6).  Jessica Douglas (So., Cambridge, OH/HS) scored 14 of her team leading 16 points in the first half.  The Cavs turned the ball over 13 times in the first half and 21 times for the game.  The Cavs would get no closer than nine points in the second half.  Walsh placed five players in double figures.  Beth Sternberg added 14 points, Ingrid Brainard 13 points and Dionna Hammett and Alexis Berry (Jr., Canton, OH/McKinley) added ten points each.

Mount Vernon Nazarene comes to the Physical Education Center on Walsh on a five-game losing streak.  The Cougars were bested 96-63 by NAIA No. 1 Cedarville University on Saturday.  Walsh won at Mount Vernon, 84-58 on January 4.  Beth Sternberg poured in 22 points and Dionna Hammett scored 19 points and grabbed 17 rebounds.  Walsh leads the all-time series 29-15.  Nationally ranked Rio Grande makes the trip from Southern Ohio on Saturday.  The Redwomen have lost two of their last three games and were upset 65-63 at Malone College on Saturday.  The Cavs were beaten at Rio, 67-50, on January 15.  Beth Sternberg and LeAnne Ware each tallied 12 points for the Cavs.  Rio Grande leads the all-time series 27-15.

Walsh's Dionna Hammett is averaging a double-double.  Hammett is scoring at a 15.0 ppg clip and pulling down 10.2 rebounds per game. 

SYNCHRONIZWED SWIMMING:  Cavs Open Season With 3rd Place Finish Against Ohio State and Canisius

Ohio State University (5-0) spoiled Dee Dent's return to poolside, by capturing all four events in winning a tri-meet at Northeast Community Center on Saturday.  OSU finished with 92 points, Canisius College 72 and the Cavs 43.  The Buckeye's won duet, solo, team and trio.  Walsh is at Ohio State for the College Association Meet in the varsity pool at Larkins Hall this Saturday.

Kristen Mueller (So., Mentor, OH/HS) and Beverlyann Burson (Sr., Houma, LA/Houma Christian) finished fourth in duet (37.67), while Christa Hess (Fr., Westlake, OH/Magnificat) and Chelsea Jarrell (Sr., Mansfield, OH/HS) placed fifth (35.00).  Megan Brandon (Sr., Surrey, BC/Earl Marriott), Kristen Mueller (So., Mentor, OH/HS) and Beverlyann Burson (Sr., Houma, LA/Houma Christian) finished fifth in trio (38.33). 

INDOOR TRACK: Women Win at Case Western Reserve/Men Have Qualifiers

The Walsh women (7-0) won the seven team meet at Case Western Reserve University on Saturday, while the men posted a fifth place finish.  This Saturday, the two teams travel to Mount Union College. 

The women garnered four first place finishes at Case.  Jessica Scheeser (Jr., Green, OH/HS) finished first in the 55 m hurdles (9.27) and Ebony Williams (Fr., Akron, OH/Firestone) was first in the high jump (4-11.75).   The Cavs also posted relay team wins in the 4 x 200 (1:52.62) and the 4 x 400 (4:18.77).  Casey Fischer (Fr., Aurora, OH/HS), Jessica LeGrair (So., Copley, OH/HS), Mikka Ray (So., Minerva, OH/HS) and Lindsey Walker (So., Canton, OH/GlenOak) comprised the winning 4 x 200 team.  Walker, Scheeser, Meghan Patton (So., Parma, OH/Holy Name) and Nicole Rogers (So., East Canton, OH/HS) made up the 4 x 400 team.

Paul Vincent (Sr., Garrettsville, OH/Garfield) and Todd Fisher (Fr., Mansfield, OH/Shelby) won events at Case Western.  Vincent was a dual winner.  He won the mile (4:23.89) and is a provisional qualifier for indoor nationals.  He also captured the 800m (2.00.32).  Fisher placed first in the 400m (53.05).  Gary Robinson (Sr., Tallmadge, OH/HS) qualified for nationals in the pentathlon (3,371 pts.) with a third place finish at the University of Findlay on Saturday.