LADY GOLDEN BULLS ELIMINATED 78-66 FROM REGIONALS BY IUP
Wendy Stywalt scored a game-high 26 points in the loss to IUP in the quarterfinals
March 13, 2009
California, PA - The Johnson C. Smith University women's basketball team had their season come to an end with a 78-66 loss to Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) Friday afternoon in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Atlantic Region tournament inside Hamer Hall. JCSU finishes the 2008-09 season with a 20-11 overall record.
All-CIAA junior guard Wendy Stywalt led J.C. Smith with a game-high 26 points, five assists, and five rebounds. All-CIAA junior forward Demetria Bell produced a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds. The Golden Bulls held a 40-28 advantage on the boards, but allowed IUP to shoot 55.2 percent for the game.
Indiana (PA) had four student-athletes score double figures in the contest. Jahzinga Tracey scored 19 points and Kylie Miller added 15 to lead the IUP offensive attack. Eryn Withers also scored 15 points and Staci Heberling finished with 11 and a team-high nine rebounds. Tracey and Heberling combined to score 24 points in the first half as the Crimson Hawks (26-5) built a 45-26 lead by halftime.
IUP built on its 19-point halftime lead by scoring the first 11 points of the second half. The scoring run left the Lady Golden Bulls trailing 56-26 with 17:04 left in the game.
The 11-0 surge at the outset of the second half concluded a 28-6 overall run after Johnson C. Smith had gotten within eight at the 6:51 mark of the first half. Johnson C. Smith, who captured their first ever conference (CIAA) championship this season, finished the game on a 12-4 run to make the final more respectable.
The Crimson Hawks advance to the NCAA Atlantic Region tournament semifinals for a Saturday match-up versus top seed Gannon University.
Looking ahead to next season, the Lady Golden Bulls only lose one senior (Janai Jackson) and have two all-conference student-athletes returning. This was JCSU's third regional tournament appearance in the last four seasons.
