Women's Basketball Victorious in First Outing

First-year head coach Marcie Alberts and the Heidelberg College women’s basketball team have lofty goals for the 2008-09 season and are headed in the right direction with a 63-59 victory over Adrian College in the AC Tip-Off Tournament in Adrian, Mich. The game marked the season opener for both teams.
 
Heidelberg jumped out to a nine-point lead, 18-9, following a lay up from Ashley Hawley (Sullivan, Ohio / Black River) with 13:16 to play in the opening half. The host Bulldogs battled back to tie the game at 26-26 with just under five to play in the half, but Brittany Skolnicki (Lorain, Ohio / Clearview) connected on a three and the Berg defense held Adrian to just two free throws to hold a 29-28 advantage at the intermission.
 
Adrian came out of the gates firing in the second half, scoring four-straight points to overtake the scoreboard 32-29. Heidelberg regained the lead, 36-35, on a Morgan Harrigan (Urbana, Ohio / Urbana) three and extended the advantage to five points. Hawley hit the first of two free throws and Skolnicki hauled in the offensive board which eventually set up a long ball from Stacey Barker (Grove City, Ohio / Grove City).
 
Heidelberg and Adrian exchanged the lead four more times in the second half before Harrigan hit a jumper with 6:49 to play in the game to give the Berg the lead for good. Adrian pulled within one point on two occasions, including with a 1:20 left in regulation, but Harrigan connected on her fifth three-pointer in the game to lead the Berg to the win.
 
The Berg shot 43.1 percent (22-of-51) from the field compared to just 39.0 percent (23-of-59) by Adrian. Heidelberg hit 11 from long range, while Adrian connected on just 1-of-11 attempts. The Bulldogs held a 41-34 advantage on the glass.
 
Harrigan led the way with a game-high 19 points. She shot 6-for-12 from the field, including 5-for-10 from behind the arc. Barker also recorded double figures, finishing with a career-high 13 points, which consisted of 12 points from long range. Stacey Richard (Galloway, Ohio / Central Crossing) had eight points, to go along with three boards, while Jenny Miller (Tiffin, Ohio / Clyde) and Betsy Shrider (Mount Blanchard, Ohio / Riverdale) led the way with five rebounds.
 
Skolnicki finished the game with nine points and four rebounds. Also scoring in the win was Miller and Hawley with five points each and Sarah Kesse (Cincinnati, Ohio / Colerain) and Shrider with a combined four points.
 
Heidelberg plays in the championship of the AC Tip-Off Classic tomorrow beginning at 4:00 p.m. The Berg faces either Edgewood or Notre Dame (OH).