Shooting Woes Cost the Berg in its Season Opener
The Heidelberg College women’s basketball team began its 2007-08 season the same as it has over the past few years, traveling outside the city limits of Tiffin, Ohio to uncharted territory. This season 20th-year head coach Karen McConnell and the Berg traveled east to Swarthmore, Pa. to take part in the four-team Swarthmore College Tip-Off Tournament. Unfortunately Heidelberg suffered a 69-59 setback in an opening round game to Middlebury College. The setback opens the year at 0-1 for the Berg, while Middlebury stands at 1-0.
Heidelberg controlled the tip-off and Jenny Miller (Tiffin, Ohio / Clyde) found Maureen Hunter (Toledo, Ohio / Notre Dame) behind the arc for a quick 3-0 lead. The quick three-pointer by the Berg could not ignite a jump start for Heidelberg, who faced a 12-0 run by Middlebury. Amanda Campbell (Pataskala, Ohio / Watkins Memorial) quieted the Middlebury run with a three-pointer at the 14:46 mark of the opening half.
Middlebury took advantage of Heidelberg’s shooting woes in the first half, building a 12-point lead, 28-16, with less than five minutes to play. Heidelberg went on to outscore Middlebury 11-3 to pull within four points at 31-27 with under a minute to play before the intermission. Middlebury sank a three-pointer on its final possession to push the lead out to seven, 34-27, heading into the locker room,
In the first half, Heidelberg shot just 27.3 percent (9-of-33), while Middlebury hit 60.0 percent (12-of-20) of its shots.
A Brittany Skolnicki (Lorain, Ohio / Clearview) layup with 12:56 to play in the game pulled Heidelberg within four points, 40-36, but that would be as close as Heidelberg could get. Middlebury held a 14-point advantage on two occasions, with the later coming with 2:37 to play. Heidelberg did not quit and cut its deficit to single-digits on a Morgan Harrigan (Urbana, Ohio / Urbana) three and a Hunter jumper, but three points to close the game from Middlebury’s Aylie Baker pushed the final score to 69-59.
For the game, Heidelberg shot just 30.3 percent (20-for-66) from the field, including 26.1 percent (6-of-23) from long range. Middlebury finished at 48.9 percent (23-of-47) from the field and 53.8 percent (7-of-13) from three-point range.
Leading the way for Heidelberg was Skolnicki with 18 points, with 16 coming in the second half, while Campbell tallied 16 points. On the glass, Campbell hauled in eight boards and Skolnicki finished with seven.
Heidelberg will play Eastern in the consolation game of the tip-off tournament tomorrow beginning at 2:00 p.m.