Page 12 Lady Lions sweep Frostburg Tourney Defeat nationally ranked teams b Paul Renim The Collegian The Lady Lions travelled down to Maryland on November 22 & 23 to make a name for themselves and Penn State Behrend College. In two extremely exciting games the Lions picked up two of the biggest wins in women's basketball history. In the Frostburg State Tip-Off Tournament the Lions upended host Frostburg 65-54. Last season the Bobcats were 26-2 and were nationally ranked in the Top 20 in the country at the division 111 level. Pressure defense and hitting at the charity stripe made the difference for the Lions. The teams stifling defense plagued Frostburg and forced them into 27 turn-ovcrs as the ladies held their opponents to only 20 points in the first half. "I have to take my hat off to Penn State, they played with more intensity," said Frostburg State Head Coach Jim Crawley. Frostburg returned four starters from last season, but they touldn't handle the Lions' defensive pressure, nor could they deal with off-guard Kim "Bulkness" Boyd, who poured in 26 points. Point guard Wendy "Money" Ebinger, went 4 for 4 from the line in closing seconds, and had 10 points. Sophomore center Anne Bonner grabbed 9 rebounds. The Lions were clutch from the line IN THE BLEACHERS by Steve Moore ffre w (v 1901 Tribune Media Swim. Inc. All AIM%Is lissonsed APO- " ... And they say that late at night, when the moon is full, you can sometimes still hear their blood- hitting on 10-12 in the closing two minutes. In the championship game the Lions squared off against Kcan College of New Jersey, who were also nationally ranked and an NCAA tournament participant last season. Kean finished with a record of 24-3 last year. At the end of a first half defensive struggle the Lions lcd 31-27. The Lions got a big lift from Sophomore guard Michelle Grover, who hit an important jumper in the second half to get the squad going. Missy Thompson also came up big at the forward spot by grabbing four big boards. The Lions outscored Kean by 10 in the second half and went on to be crowned the Champions of the Frostburg Elks Invitational by a final of 63-49. Anne Bonner had 16 points, and 8 boards, Ebinger and Heather Shearer had 12 a piece. Freshman standout Karen "Crooked" Strait grabbed 7 rebounds. "This is the best this squad has played together. They did all the little things it takes to be successful. It took all fourteen of our players and I am really happy for the team," said Coach Jenepher Banker. The Lions tenacious team defense forced Kean into 30 turnovers and held their offense to only 22 points in the crucial second half. Shearer was named All- Tournament, Ebinger Most Valuable Player. curdling squeals." The Collegian Lady Lions swamp the Gators, 72-61 Paul Benim The Collegian At 2-0, the Lions came home to Eric Hall to face the Allegheny Gators. Last time the two teams met at Behrend, the Gators hit a shot with :02 seconds remaining for the victory 80-79. But this night belonged to the Lady Lions. A balanced offensive attack and mental toughness helped the Lions irevail. "On the defensive end they are forcing the action. They are determining the pace, the score, and the outcome by working harder than their opponents." The Lions were hot and shot 59% from the floor in the first half and led the Gators 42-31 at halftime. Kimberly Boyd and Krista Hershner hit for 10 and eight respectively in the first twenty minutes to help build the 11 point gap. The two teams scored 30 a piece in the second half and Behrcnd came out on top by the final score of 72-61. Wendy Ebinger, Heather Shearer, Boyd, and Becky Swartz all had 11 points. Sophomore Hershner dropped in 14. Freshman Karen Strait again cleaned the glass picking up 10 rebounds. She averages 7.6 boards a game, at only 5'7". "The strides this team has made thus far is a direct result of their intensity," said assistant coach Brett Banker. "On the defensive end they are forcing the action, not reacting. They are determining the pace, the score, and the outcome by working harder than their opponents," he Thursday, December 5, 1991 continued Statistics show that the squad is getting it done on the defensive end of the floor. The defense is kick-starting the offense. The Lions are shooting 42% from the floor while holding their opponents to a 36% field goal percentage. As a team the Lions are averaging 66.7 points per game while the opposition is being held to 54.7 per game. The team also averages twice as many steals as their opponents. -Brett Banker Assistant Coach The Lions play hard and are full of enthusiasm. Check the Lady Lions out this week at their home games Thursday at 6:00 pm vs Hiram, and Saturday at 3:00 pm with Nom Dame.