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Dragons pull out victory in closing minutes 65-55 over Slippery Rock
Tiffin University’s women’s basketball team hasn’t had the best of luck to start off the season. Before the Dragons even took the court for the first game, they lost two of their five upperclassmen to injury in Alexis Karel and Holly Focke. So when Slippery Rock hit a three pointer to tie the game at 55 with 3:41 remaining, it looked like the Dragons were going to be snake bitten again. After falling behind 10-8 in the first half and trailing the whole game, the Rock buried the three to knot the game and take the momentum. However, it was the young Dragons, led by sophomore Mandy Jaeb, who used a 10-0 run down the stretch to seal a 65-55 victory in their first game of the season at TU.
Jaeb hit a three pointer with 1:35 remaining and made a layup, getting fouled in the process, after a nifty pass from freshman Karli Mast to put the Dragons up by six with 53 seconds remaining. Jaeb would add two free throws with 16 ticks remaining to wrap up her monster half. She scored 17 points in the second half along with grabbing five rebounds and dishing out two assists. She finished the game 12 of 12 from the free throw line to go along with her team high 24 points and five assists.
“Mandy’s been a person even when she came in her freshmen year that started to take that leadership role,” Dragons coach Pam Oswald said. “She understood at the end of last season what we needed her to do, and she’s continued that. In talking with her, I told her she needed to be a play maker. She’s our veteran as a sophomore.”
Jaeb knew what she had to do coming into the game. “We are a young team and we knew it,” she said. "I knew when Holly went down I had to step it up.”
Freshman Jordan Jankins backed up Jaeb with ten points while grabbing five rebounds. Jonette McQueen, also a freshman, grabbed nine rebounds as did junior Samantha McCall. McCall also dished out four assists just like teammate Mast.
Oswald liked her team’s chances coming down the stretch. “They are definitely going out there and pouring their hearts out,” Coach Oswald said of her young squad. “So we knew if we could at least keep the pace and never get too high or too low that we had a good chance of pulling it out.”
The Dragons, who only trailed early in the game when the score was 4-2, held the advantage on rebounds 45-35. They also had fewer turnovers than Slippery Rock (14-13).
“These kids that we’ve been able to bring in are never say die,” said Coach Oswald. “I thought we really kept our heads in the game and did what we needed to do.”
The 1-0 Dragons will next be in action Friday when they travel to Merrimack.
Returners lead the way for Lady Dragons
Holly Focke splits her time on the court playing both the guard and forward positions. The 5’9 Cincinnati native can step out and hit the three or get to the basket when she needs to. Focke is once again expected to be a defensive stopper out on the perimeter, as well as down in the post. Focke’s stats reflect her overall game as she averages 6 points per game, 6 rebounds per game, 3 assists per game, and 1 steal per game. Focke also excels off the court, majoring in Hospitality Management.
Mandy Jaeb, who hails from Louisville, OH, is the leading returning scorer in the lineup. The 5’4 guard will lead the charge in the back court. Jaeb’s biggest strength is her quickness in her hands on defense. She gives opposing guards fits with her in-your-face pressure. Jaeb looks to continue where she left off averaging 10.5 points per game, 2 assists per game, and 2 steals per game. The free throw line is where the opponents look to keep her away from, as Jaeb averaged a scorching 85%. Jaeb is also a stellar student majoring in Business Finance.
Katrina Clark is entering her senior season at the center position. The 6’1, Columbus , OH, native looks to step into the front court and make an impact. Only playing in 13 games last season, Clark has been working to up her game and minutes on the court. Clark looks to get inside and clean up the boards and is very aggressive down in the low block. In her 13 games last season, Clark averaged 3 points per game and 2 rebounds per game. Clark is a Forensic Science major.
Jennifer Johnston was a productive player off the bench a year ago, gaining valuable time on the court. Johnston is working hard to add a more physical style of play to her game, as she competes for time at the guard position. The 5’7 sophomore stepped up to the challenge when called upon, averaging 3 points and 1 rebound in just 12 minutes per game. Johnston is a Business major from Clarkston, MI.
Junior guard Samantha McCall is looking to use her experience to step into a vacant role this season. Only playing in 15 games last year, McCall is looking to contribute in every game this season and be a leader for the incoming freshman. The 5’7 McCall can be dangerous from the three point line if the defense is caught sleeping. McCall is from Dearborn, MI and majors in Sports Management.
Jessica Harris is a redshirt freshman center from Logan, OH. Harris played in only 4 games last season before her year came to an abrupt stop with a season ending injury. Very eager to get back on the court, Harris has been putting countless hours into rehab to make sure she is stronger and prepared for the upcoming season. Harris has her goals set on being a key contributor for the 2009-2010 season and to use her year in the Tiffin system to her advantage. Harris is majoring in Law Enforcement.
Dragons add five to roster for 2009-10 (more)