|
Buurma Joins
1,000-Point Club in Win over Tiffin |
|
Ashland University senior forward Alanna Buurma joined the 1,000-point club on Monday night (Dec. 22). For a good part of the game with the Tiffin Dragons, it looked liked the Eagles would need every point she ever scored in her career. Buurma had 15 points, a team-high seven assists, two blocked shots and two assists as Ashland held on to stop a stubborn Tiffin team, 77-73, at Kates Gymnasium. The win gives the Eagles a 9-3 record. Tiffin is 2-7. Ashland led, 41-35 at halftime, but the Dragons hung in the game thanks to some strong outside shooting. Tiffin was 10-of-26 from three-point range (38.5 percent) and 17-of-19 at the free throw line (89.5 percent). Even though the Eagles enjoyed a 30-18 advantage in “Points in the Paint,” the Dragons played well against the Eagles on the boards, outrebounding the home team, 40-38. The Eagles had a 74-73 lead with 20 seconds left in regulation. Tiffin’s Jen Rosselit missed a shot in the key with 17 seconds to play and Buurma secured the rebound. That led to senior guard Isolina Brescia getting fouled twice and making three of four free throw attempts in the final 10 seconds. That put the game away for the Eagles. Buurma is the eighth player in the program’s history to reach 1,000 points. She needed eight points heading into the contest and hit the lofty level with a pair of free throws early in the second half. Buurma is the first AU player to reach 1,000 points since Jodi Dobransky in 1998. AU’s leading scorer was sophomore guard Dee Bethune. She put together her second consecutive strong game, hitting 9-of-13 shots from the floor on the way to 20 points. Brescia had 14 points, five rebounds and three assists and junior center Jackie Mason had 12 points. Freshman guard Amber Rall came off the bench to fire in 10 points and junior forward Beth Everman also played well in a relief role, plucking down six rebounds. Even though AU struggled at times to control the Dragons, the Eagles never lost control of the game. Every time the Eagles needed a crucial basket or defensive stop, they seemed to get it. Ashland also did well protecting the basketball – the Eagles had just 10 turnovers. Ashland returns to action on Jan. 1, playing Freed-Hardeman in the Monterey Bay Classic. |