Pointers Run Past Ripon in NCAA Tourney
Opener
Box Score
Two of the top shooting teams in NCAA Divison III women�s basketball
lived up to their billings on Saturday as UW-Stevens Point outlasted Ripon
84-66 in an NCAA tournament second round game at a packed Berg Gymnasium
in Stevens Point.
The Pointers, ranked fifth
nationally in field goal percentage, shot 56.7 percent from the floor in
the victory, which was their 12th win in 13 all-time tournament games.
UW-Stevens Point has won the national title in two of its previous three
appearances and advances to the sectional tournament on Friday to face
Washington (Mo.) at a site to be determined. The Pointers are now 26-3
overall for the season.
UW-Stevens Point beat Ripon 78-53 earlier this
season in Ripon, but the Red Hawks put up a strong fight on Saturday
before ending their season with a 22-5 record. Ripon , which is 10th
nationally in field goal shooting, shot 50 percent in the first half and
47 percent for the game, but was hampered by 26 turnovers.
The Pointers opened the game by scoring the
first four points and sprinted to a 16-6 lead. UW-Stevens Point led 33-23
with 6:25 left in the first half before the Red Hawks scored the next
eight points to close to within two points. Amanda Guay�s basket at the
first half buzzer kept Ripon within four points at 39-35 at halftime.
The Pointers maintained a slim lead throughout
the first six minutes of the first half and led 52-48 with 13:45 left
before Ripon�s leading scorer Janine Emmer picked up her fourth foul.
From that point, UW-Stevens Point went on a 15-4
run, scoring several of its baskets in transition to go ahead 67-52 with
8:55 left. The Pointers finished with 16 points on fastbreak plays in the
game. Meanwhile, Ripon hit just two of 10 shots during the stretch.
�In the first 20 minutes we didn�t do a good job
defending,� Pointers� coach Shirley Egner said. �We talked about getting
out and defending in the second half. I think that was the difference.�
�We hung tough for 30 minutes,� said Ripon coach
Julie Johnson. �Foul trouble really hurt us, but that�s the way we play.
We like an aggressive style.�
Ripon was unable to cut the lead under 13 points
the rest of the way and finished zero-for-eight from behind the
three-point line, despite ranking 11th nationally in three-point shooting.
�They�re a fun team to play because they have a
lot of threats,� said Pointers� guard Cassandra Schultz, who finished with
16 points and seven assists. �It�s not like some teams we play that have
only one or two people you have to guard.�
Ripon showed its versatility on Saturday as
sophomore post player Martha Dantuma made 10 of 13 shots to finish with a
career-high 20 points after averaging 3.7 points per game all season. Guay
also had 20 points, but was held to two points in the last 17:22 of the
game.
Amanda Nechuta led the Pointers with 20 points
and nine rebounds, while Amy Scott added 18 points and six rebounds.
�We�re a veteran team with a lot of leadership
on the floor,� Egner said. �I thought those leaders stepped up in the
second half and did the job for us.
�Give credit to Ripon,� she added. �Every time
it looked like we were going to make a run we weren�t able to put it away
until near the end.�
The Pointers will learn of their NCAA Division
III sectional site and time on Sunday.
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