Lady Lions roll over Thiel
Lady Lions finish season on winning note
It's quite a good possibility that
if you never trail in a ball game,
you will never lose the game
Coach Fornari's Lady
experienced that last night
Tip-Off Time: Nikki Schultz
for the Lady Lions. The Lady
Lien team leader is ATW
Ron Derian finishing fourth year of Behrend Basketball
"Ron is the leader of the team.
He will do whatever it takes to
win" said assistant coach John
Gorman of senior captain Ron
Derian.
Dcrian's desire to win helped him
earn this week's Housing and Food
Service Athlete of the Week honor.
Derian's performance last week
helped the Lions move to 13-10 on
the year. Putting the men's
basketball team in contention for
an ECAC tournament bid.
"I'm very happy that after 3 years
we have a chance to make the
playoffs. It's a great opportunity
for the program and for the younger
players" said Derian.
A two-game winning streak has
helped to solidify Behrend's play
off hopes.
Over the two game stretch
Derian averaged 10.5 points per
game and 6.5 rebounds per game.
"Ron is a hell of a ball player.
He works just as hard as anyone on
the team" said sophomore Brian
Emick
Last Wednesday (Feb 19) Derian
powered the Lions to a 66-57 win
over La Roche. In the game he led
the team in scoring with 15 points
while grabbing 10 boards.
"Ron's conditioning has allowed
him to do a lot things on the floor"
said coach Dave Niland.
The Lady Lions finished up their
season last night with an 72-59
triumph over Thiel College.
The game itself got off to a late
start due to the fact that
Dave Boulos/Collegian Photo Assistant
stretches to win the tip in the last game this year
Lions beat Thiel last night 72-59.
On the year Derian leads the
Lions in a variety of areas. He is
leading the team in rebounding for
the second consecutive year with
6.4 rpg.
Derian is also leading the team in
steals with 26. Offensively he is
also one of the Lions most
productive players.
He is averaging over ten ppg,
while shooting 50 percent from the
floor.
Ron is the
leader of
the team.
Derian combines a tough inside
game with solid outside shooting.
He is making nearly 40 percent of
his three-point shots while getting
to the free throw line a team
leading 80 times.
"Ron has always had a great love
of the game. He has great desire to
win which is reflected by the
--John Gorman
thought the game began at
7T 3h O ie i i nstead of the 6:00 start time.
When the game did get underway
the Lady Lions were fired up. Just
over 2:30 into the game the Lions
used a couple of buckets by Tiffany
Buck and a three by Katie
O'Donnell to push the lead to 7-2.
The Lady Lions then went on a
13-4 run over the next 4:30 to take
a 20-8 lead before the Lady Tomcats
finally took their first timeout.
Tiffany Buck already had ten of the
Lady Lions twenty points, and
Katie O'Donnell had six of her
own.
Theil played a little more steady
over the next eight minutes and
with less 5:00 to go the lead was
still twelve at 32-20.
Late in the half the Lady Lions
became a little impatient and turned
the ball over four times in the last
1:32. Thiel only converted four
points off of these, and Fornari's
five led 36-26 at the break.
"We rebounded well...and got a
lot of touches on the ball," said
Head Coach Roz Fornari. "We kept
it in transition."
Behrend led 41-32 with 17:12 left
in the second half, before Buck
went on her second half rampage.
She scored Behrend's next twelve
points on four straight threes to
give Behrend a commanding 55-41
lead midway through the half.
Carrie Nestor made 7-9 foul shots
down the stretch as Behrend finished
the year with three consecutive
victories including the 72-59
beating of Thiel.
A True PTP'er: Senior Ron Derian waits for a rebound in a recent game
Derian has been a primetime player all four years at Behrend.
orts
"This was a good combination of
team play," said Coach Fornari.
"We did a lot of things right in
both halves."
Buck led the team in scoring with
22 points. She tied her own record
of six threes in a game. Nestor and
Nikki Schultz added 12 points each
to the Lady Lion effort.
Fornari was quite pleased with
Buck's play throughout the game.
She said, "Tiff (Buck) has the
potentioal of being one of the best
guards we have ever had here."
Earlier in the week, the Lady
Lions used a strong first half to
bomb Notre Dame College 64-51.
"One thing we were doing (in
this game)," said Fornari, "is come
out strong in the first five minutes
of the first and second half.
It worked well. The Lady Lions
led by 11, 28-17 at the half and
stayed strong through the second
half.
A Diaper Dandy Baby Tiffany Buck passes down to the post as Emily Marini waits for the ball. Behrend used an
early 13-4 run and four straight threes from Buck in the second half to help guide them to victory last night.
Thursday, February 27, /997 The Behrend College Collegian - P,:ge 7
Buck for Three!!!: Tiffany Buck shoots a three pointer last night against
Thiel. The freshman guard had six last night in the Lady Lion win.
Katie O'Donnell was high scorer
in the game with 16 points.
Tiffany Buck and Emily Marini
threw in 15 respectively. Schultz
and Marini each had eight boards in
the victory.
"We still have a ways to go as far
as gelling together," said Coach
after the win. "(We have)
recognized what it takes to win a
little better."
intensity he brings to the court"
said Niland.
Derian's intensity and desire to
win has allowed him be a four year
starter at Behrend. He also ranks
very high in several career
statistical categories.
In his four years Derian has
started 89 out of 95 games. "Ron
has had a great four years, he is
someone we are really going to
miss" said Niland.
When Derian finishes his career
at Behrend his name will be
scattered through the record books.
As of Feb. 24 he ranked in the
top 15 in five separate categories.
Currently he is eighth in career
rebounds with 514. Derian's career
average is 5.4 rpg.
"Ron's conditioning is a credit to
him. His versatility will be
reflected in the record book" said
Niland.
Derian is 14th in career scoring
with 882, an average of 9.3 ppg.
He also ranks 15th in assists with
173.
Derian continues to move up in
the record books with each game.
He has made 307 field goals in
his career, good for 12th on the all
time list. Derian also ranks seventh
in career free throws made with
230.
Not only is Derian a statistical
The Lady Lions have finished the
96-97 campaign with a solid
ending. Next year with Marini and
Schultz anchoring down low, =I
this year's freshman having a year's
experience under their belts, this
team could be mighty good in the
years to come. Especially with the
new conference.
Next week, we'll recap the season
and print final stats.
Mike Nies/Collegian Photographer
leader for the Lions he is also an
emotional one. "I am a leader on
the floor. I try to do a lot of little
things to help the team win" said
Derian.
"Ron provides great senior
leadership" added Emick.
With his record breaking career
coming to a close it is nice to see
Derian with a chance to end his
playing career in a tournament
chase.
Behrend will conclude their
season March 1 in a key battle with
Thiel College. After Saturday's
game the Lions will await a call
from the ECAC tournament
committee to see if their season
will continue.
Sports Quiz
by Larry Duncan
1. What is a balk in baseball?
2. What constitutes a forfeit in
baseball?
3. What was the first National
Hockey League team based in the
U.S.?
4. Who led Sweden to its first
Davis Cup victory in tennis in 1975?
5. What is a perfect game in bowl-
Mg?
6. Who was the first NFL back to
gain 10,000 career yards, finishing
with 12,312?
7. What's the only community-