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Findlay Inside Game
Stuns Eagles Women |
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Those in the world of art scoff at paint-by-number pieces. According to the experts that’s not “real art.” In basketball, getting numbers in the paint is never degraded in such a fashion. Working inside for points may not have great artistic value, but it has the utmost value on the scoreboard. The Findlay women’s basketball team proved that point again on Saturday (Jan. 31) at Croy Gymnasium. The Oilers received 34 points, six rebounds and four steals from 6-3 center Zsofia Horvath and that played a major role in UF’s 90-86 upset of the Ashland University Eagles. AU, ranked fourth in this week’s NCAA Division II regional rankings, lost its second straight game. The Eagles are 15-6, 6-5 in Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play. Findlay is 12-9 and 4-7. The Oilers, thanks to Horvath, got an early boost of confidence. The senior had 15 points in the first half. She scored 10 of Findlay’s first 12 points and helped set the tone for the game. Whenever Findlay needed a bucket, the Oilers worked everything through Horvath. At halftime Findlay was in front, 38-36. Much like the first half, the second half was a back-and-forth affair. Findlay had a six-point lead with 18:49 left in regulation, but Ashland battled back and took the lead, 51-50, with 13:58 to go. Findlay never led from the 13:27 mark until the clock showed 3:33 and Rachel Schroder hit a jumper for an 80-78 UF lead. Ashland’s largest lead during that stretch was five points. The teams were tied, 82-82 with 2:11 to play. The Oilers took the lead for good at 1:21 when Ashley Goldsberry knocked down a three-point field goal to put the home team in front, 85-82. A layup by junior forward Angie Heintz brought the Eagles to within a point, 85-84 with a minute left, but then a layup by UF’s Michelle Vorst with 34 seconds remaining gave Findlay an 87-84 edge. Ashland turned the ball over on its next possession and a pair of free throws by Horvath gave Findlay an insurmountable five-point cushion. Ashland got a strong all-around game from senior forward Alanna Buurma. A native of Willard, OH, 34 miles down the road from Findlay, Buurma is well known in the Findlay area. She made her final trip to Croy Gym a good one with 23 points, eight rebounds and a pair of steals in 38 minutes. Freshman guard Amber Rall, this week’s GLIAC South Division player of the week, had 16 points. Senior point guard Isolina Brescia had 13 points, making 5-of-7 shots from the floor. Sophomore guard Dee Bethune had 11 points. Ashland outrebounded the smaller Oilers, 32-23. Ashland had 26 turnovers compared to 21 for Findlay. Both teams shot well – AU hit 52.5 percent (31-59) from the field and Findlay ended the game at 59 percent (36-61). The only Findlay player besides Horvath to reach double digits in scoring was Vorst. She had 17 points. The Eagles’ next game is this coming Thursday (Feb. 5) at Kates Gymnasium against Hillsdale. |