UC Clears Hurdle
March 4, 2006
By Rick Ryan
Assistant Sports Editor, The Charleston Gazette
The wall has fallen for the University of Charleston.
The Golden Eagles, who had lost in the West Virginia Conference women’s tournament semifinals the past three years, finally broke through that barrier Friday afternoon with a 76-63 victory over third-seeded Wheeling Jesuit at the Civic Center.
Courtney Thomas scored 17 points and Laura Kinsler added 15 for UC, including three first-half 3-point field goals. Versatile Rachel Pike tallied 14 points.
Tonight’s championship-game assignment at 6 against Glenville State marks UC’s first appearance in the finals since it won the tournament in 1998. It’s also the first WVC title game for Sherry Winn, the Golden Eagles’ fifth-year coach, since 1986 when as an all-conference player, she led UC’s win over Bluefield State.
"Wow, that’s a long drought, isn’t it? — 20 years,’’ Winn said with a smile. "I’m thrilled to death that we finally got through a semifinal game. We’ve been a good program, really, for four years, yet we haven’t been able to get past that game. It’s just a big thrill for us to get to that next game.’’
But it wasn’t exactly easy for the No. 2 seed Golden Eagles (27-2), who had to surmount a couple of tall obstacles Friday to get to the finals.
First, leading scorers Lisa Lee and Thomas each missed time in the first half because of foul trouble and Lee was nearly invisible when she was on the floor. The WVC player of the year took just one first-half shot and had no rebounds and two turnovers. Yet somehow, the Golden Eagles led 35-31 at the break after trailing by as many as six points.
"It’s definitely not something you want to have happen,’’ Winn said, "but that’s why you have a team, because you don’t depend on one player. That’s what’s great about our team. Nobody panicked about it. They just kept playing hard.’’
The other obstacle was Sarah Setcavage, Jesuit’s 6-foot-2 senior center, who turned in game-highs of 27 points and nine rebounds. Her rebound goal with 2:15 left in the game brought the Cardinals within four points at 67-63.
But Lee responded with a low-post move that earned two foul shots, which she knocked down for a six-point edge. Jesuit’s Jenna Johnson had a back-door layup try roll teasingly around the rim and out and Pike added a free throw for UC.
The Cardinals (26-4), with UC defenders draped all over their perimeter players, were whistled for a double dribble at the other end with 1:08 to go and Lee just about sealed the deal with a baseline jumper as the shot clock wound down. Moments later, Lee blocked Setcavage’s 3-point attempt.
"We defended their guards extremely well,’’ Winn said. "Their guards didn’t get the 3-point looks they were accustomed to, and that was a huge key.’’
Another item in UC’s favor was its board work. The Golden Eagles corralled 19 offensive rebounds and led 44-30 off the glass. In a regular-season loss at Wheeling Jesuit, UC was outrebounded by 16.
"Our No. 1 goal was to try and limit their second-chance opportunities and we didn’t do a good job of that,’’ said Joe Key, coach of the defending tournament champion Cardinals. "Give them credit for the work they did on it. That’s basically the stat that really hurt us. You can’t give good teams extra chances and that was the difference in the game.’’
Setcavage would be the one forced to sit down in the second half when she picked up her third foul with 18:44 left and UC up 37-33. When she came back in, it was 52-44.
"It’s real hard [to sit out],’’ Setcavage said. "It is pretty frustrating, especially when you think you’re just out there trying to do everything anyone else is doing, but somehow you always get the foul.’’
Lee rebounded from her slow start to finish with 13 points, eight rebounds and four blocked shots.
"I just didn’t touch the ball,’’ Lee said of the first half. "It wasn’t like I wasn’t doing everything else I could. I just wasn’t taking shots. But we were up at halftime. I don’t think they were doing anything differently to keep me from touching the ball. If they deny me from touching it, I’m not afraid to pass to somebody else. I have faith in my teammates.’’
With a victory tonight, UC could move into first place in the NCAA Division II East Region, which would mean the Golden Eagles could play host to the March 10-13 regional at Eddie King Gym. A Pioneers win would likely place the regional in Glenville.