Women's basketball crushes Allegheny

First-year Nzinga Broussard scores 22, paces Oberlin to conference victory

Powered by a strong first-year attack, the Oberlin women's basketball team dominated Allegheny's Lady Gators 71-54 Wednesday night at Phillips Gym. The Lady Crimson ran their record to 3-2 with the win Wednesday, their home opener.

Head Coach Ann Gilbert was exuberant. "It's the biggest win of my career," she said while accepting congratulatory hugs from students' parents and her colleagues. "It's a great, great win for Oberlin College athletics. Every time you beat Allegheny, it's a big thing. [But] this is our biggest win ever. I'm very proud today," she said.

The victory is a big one not only for the team, whose previous record against Allegheny was 3-26 entering the game, including a 61-58 loss in their last meeting, February 18. The win is a big one for Oberlin as a school, Athletic Director Mike Muska said. "This is a team picked to be ahead of us in the conference," Muska said. "This is exciting, and we're doing it with a lot of local kids. It's the culmination of several years' hard work for coach Gilbert; a great athlete becoming a great coach." Though Oberlin controlled the tip, Allegheny got on the board first with two Shannon Keller foul shots. Oberlin struggled with fouls in the first half, but settled down in the second half. Allegheny never capitalized from the line, though, hitting just 54.5 percent (12 of 22), and only 28.6 percent (two of seven) in the second half.

The Lady Crimson didn't stay down long. Forward first-year Raegan Johnson opened the scoring for Oberlin to even the game at two, and guard first-year Nzinga Broussard capitalized on an Allegheny turnover to give OC its first lead at 4-2.

Allegheny's Allysa Hinkle gave the Lady Gators what would be their last lead of the day, hitting a three-pointer to put them up 5-4. But Oberlin answered with a three of its own, from the hands of forward first-year Menna Demessie, putting OC up 7-5. Allegheny drew even at seven, but Oberlin came back with two consecutive scores and never relinquished the lead.

A Lady Gator time-out at 13-9 could do nothing to stop Oberlin's intensity, as OC came out and upped the lead to 17-9. The Lady Crimson maintained the lead and widened it to its largest in the first half at 25-15 with 9:55 left in the half. Allegheny did not relent, however, and drew to within one at 31-30 with 1:35 left in the half.

Oberlin called time-out, and whatever it was that Gilbert said in the huddle, it worked most decidedly well. The Lady Crimson turned a one-point lead into an eight-point lead in the 95 seconds remaining in the half, and went in up 38-30. Allegheny never recovered from the shock, and came no closer than six for the rest of the game.

After scoring the first points of the second half to go up 40-30, Oberlin maintained a lead just at or below 10 points until a Gator time-out with 4:24 left with the score 59-51. The rest was window-dressing, as Oberlin went on a 12-3 run to close out the contest and win by 17.

Broussard led all scorers with 22 points, going 9 of 14 from the field and four of six from the foul line. She also brought down, and led the team with four assists and six steals while playing all 40 minutes of the game.

In Demessie's 33 minutes she scored 13, good for second among all scorers, and had 11 rebounds, seven off the offensive glass, totals which were second and first overall. Center sophomore Heather Barbee led in rebounds, pulling down 12 in just 18 minutes, her play limited after getting into foul trouble early and going to half with three personal fouls. Forward sophomore Rachel Barbee was third in rebounds, getting 10 in her 33 minutes.

Johnson ended third among all scorers with 12 points in her 26 minutes, going five for 10 from the field, adding seven rebounds and four steals. All nine of the Lady Crimson who saw action scored.

The Lady Crimson opened their season November 21 in Chicago against the University of Chicago in the Midway Classic first round game at Henry Crown Field House. Oberlin fell to Chicago by a count of 66-46. Broussard led OC and was second among all scorers with 13 points in her college debut, added six steals, and also pulled down nine rebounds, which tied her with Heather Barbee for the game lead.

Oberlin came back the next day in the consolation game and beat Beloit College easily, 64-49. Heather Barbee led the Lady Crimson and the game with 12 points, and added four steals and six rebounds.

OC came into its third game, this one against Heidelberg College November 25, with their record even at 1-1. The Lady Crimson again dominated, despite holding a three-point halftime lead at 31-28. Oberlin came out on a 10-0 run to begin the second half, never leading again by less than eight in coasting to a 90-78 victory. Demessie poured in what is still a season-high, for herself and the team, of 23 points, going 10 of 17 from the field in 29 minutes. Johnson scored 21, and established a team and personal high with 15 rebounds, eight off the offensive glass. Broussard poured in 20 points of her own, to go with 12 rebounds and 7 steals.

The Lady Crimson then travelled to Anderson, Indiana to play Anderson University November 28. The game was a tight contest throughout, as the teams went to half tied at 32. Neither team ever led by more than six, but Anderson prevailed at the end of the see-saw battle, coming out on top 68-64. Rachel Barbee again led Oberlin, with 20 points and eight rebounds, as Broussard added 13 points.

The Lady Crimson next play tomorrow in Phillips Gym at 2 p.m. against Wittenberg as part of a doubleheader.