Frontcourt players Hickey and Kruse propel Wheaton to 74-63 victory

December 8, 2007

NORTON, MA- Junior forward Krystin Hickey (Manchester, NH/New Hampton School) and sophomore frontcourt player Ida Kruse (Vershire, VT/Rivendell Academy) combined for 38 points on 15-of-19 shooting to lead Wheaton College to a 74-63 victory over Roger Williams University in non-conference women's basketball action Saturday afternoon in Emerson Gymnasium. The Lyons raise their overall record to 4-3 heading into the semester break, while the Hawks slip to 3-4.

Wheaton and Roger Williams played nip-and-tuck through the first 16-plus minutes of the opening half, as the game experienced six ties and four lead swings during that stretch, but the Lyons utilized a 12-0 run over the final 3:40 en route to a 39-27 advantage at the intermission. Sophomore Andrea Bailey (Needham, MA/Needham) played a part in nine straight points thanks to a three, a pair of free throws and assists on a pair of lay-ups.

Bailey finished the half with six points, seven assists and two steals. Hickey went 5-of-5 from the floor in scoring 13 points with three helpers. Kruse chipped in with nine points after shooting 4-of-5. The hosts turned in a solid shooting performance during a turnover-plagued half, as the Lyons made 57.7 percent of their attempts. The two teams combined for 25 giveaways.

A 12-2 Wheaton run covering a 4:38 span gave the Blue and White its largest advantage at 56-39 with 11:22 left in the second half, as Kruse and junior Bri Smith (Westford, MA/Westford Academy) each had five points during the spurt. The Hawks refused to go away quietly, storming all the way back to cut their deficit to six with 7:52 to play, as the visitors posted an 11-0 run in 2:12. Roger Williams then got as close as five at the 3:04 mark.

A Bailey trey extended Wheaton's lead to eight and, after the Hawks again made it a five-point game with 1:14 on the clock, the Lyons scored the game's final six points to clinch the victory. The hosts shot 54.9 percent overall, 55.6 percent from three-point territory and 76.5 percent from the free throw line. Wheaton's 23 assists tied for seventh in program history. The Lyons also forced 25 turnovers and finished with 11 steals.

Hickey notched a season-best 22 points on 8-of-10 shooting with five assists, while Kruse shot 7-of-9 for a career-high 16 points with a team-best seven boards and game-high five steals. Sophomore Jenny Champney (Bedford, MA/Bedford) totaled 12 points and five rebounds, and Bailey dumped in nine points while dishing out a career-best eight assists.

Freshman Caitlin McNabb (Springfield, MA/Suffield Academy) led the Hawks with a team-high 15 points and game-best nine boards as a reserve. Junior Jacqueline Criss (Westwood, MA/Westwood) had 12 points and five rebounds, while senior Caitlyn Leone (Irvington, NY/Hackley School) added 10 points.

The Lyons return to action in Honolulu, Hawaii, on Wednesday, December 19, when they take on South Dakota Tech at the Hoop N Surf Tournament at 10:00 a.m. local time.

This page is maintained by Scott Dietz. Last updated on 12/8/07.
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