Dan DaranciangThe ninth-ranked women’s basketball team added two more victories to their rap sheet this weekend, as the team moved to 7-0 overall in Hanover, Ind. En route to the Eleanor Moyer Tournament championship, the Bears easily defeated both Thomas More College and Hanover College.
In their first game of the tournament, the Bears faced Thomas More College. Down early behind Thomas More’s blazing three-point shooting, the Bears rallied to take a 41-38 lead at halftime.
Behind senior Danielle Beehler’s career-high 24 points, the Bears were able to extend the lead in the second half for an 80-64 victory.
Senior Kelly Manning collected 20 points while moving into seventh place on the Bears’ all-time scoring list with 1,113 points scored. Juniors Rebecca Parker and Sarah Schell added 11 and 10 points, respectively. Continuing their solid play, the Bears dished out 20 assists while only turning the ball over eight times.
In the tournament championship game on Saturday, the Bears defeated host Hanover College, 82-53. Again, down in the first half, the Bears rallied to take a five-point lead at half before starting off the second frame with an 11-4 run.
Tournament MVP Kelly Manning scored a career-high 32 points, draining six three-pointers in the effort. Parker added nine points of her own, while Beehler added eight. Collecting 13 steals, the Bears limited Hanover to 34.5 percent shooting from the floor. Beehler was also selected to the all-tournament team.
Head coach Nancy Fahey continually stresses the importance of continuing to collect rebounds and boxing out. If the Bears continue to limit their turnovers, scoring points should not be a problem with the balanced offense in the lineup.
Led by Captain Manning, who is on pace to have a career year, the Red and Green have outscored their opponents by a 571-379 margin so far this season, and it looks like they have no plan of slowing.
Manning has gone 18-for-39 from behind the arch, good for a .462 three-point percentage. She leads the team with 125 points and 10 blocks, averaging 17.9 points per game. Junior guard Sarah Scnell is also set to have a big season; she has already quietly made a statement for the Bears. She leads the team with 35 assists and 12 steals, as well as shooting .615 from the free throw line and contributing a team second-best seven blocks.
The Bears will play the Beavers of Blackburn College this Tuesday night in Carlinville, Ill.