TIFFIN, Ohio—Erin Hollinger tallied game-highs of 18 points and eight rebounds to lead Case Western Reserve University to a 79-57 victory over the Heidelberg University women's basketball team tonight in a non-conference game at Seiberling Gymnasium in Tiffin, Ohio. Hollinger was seven-of-12 shooting from the field and recorded two assists, a game-high three blocks and one steal.
With just one day of rest between games, the Berg (2-5, 0-1 Ohio Athletic Conference) was led in scoring for the sixth time in seven games this season, including the last four consecutive, by sophomore guard Kathleen Phillips (Sandusky/St. Mary's), who poured in 16 points on a six-of-16 shooting night. Sophomore guard Emily Giel (Burton/Burkshire) scored a season-high 14 points and matched a career-high four three-pointers. Junior forward Molly Schriber (Sidney) and sophomore forward Kyra Dorney (Fairborn/Greenon) shared a team-high six rebounds.
In addition to Hollinger for the Spartans (5-3) Evy Iacono scored 15 points and Brooke Orcutt added 10 markers of her own.
Heidelberg opened a 5-0 lead at the 18:29 mark of the first half when Giel made a steal and a three-pointer on the ensuing possession. Giel gave the 'Berg another five-point lead at 10-5 when she canned her second triple with 15:56 on the clock.
The Spartans closed to within two points on two separate occasions before tying the score, 12-12, when Emily Mueller hit a jumper at 14:32.
The teams traded leads five times before the Tri-Color took an 18-17 advantage at 12:01 as Schriber sank a jumper and Phillips followed on the next possession with a lay-up for a 20-17 'Berg lead at 11:02.
CWRU then went on a 6-0 run and tied the score for the second time, 23-23, at 8:10 as Destinee Henton canned a jump shot.
The Spartans outscored Heidelberg, 17-7, over the next 6:33 and led, 40-30, as Iacono made one of two free throws at the 1:27 mark. CWRU led by as many as 11 points in the first half, but Schriber closed the gap to eight points before halftime after she buried a three-pointer with 24 seconds to play to send the Berg into the break looking at a 43-35 deficit.
Giel opened the second half for the 'Berg with yet another three-pointer and brought the Tri-Color to within five at 43-38, but CWRU countered with a 16-3 run that spanned seven minutes and was capped when Orcutt made two free throws at the 11:48 mark
The Spartans would lead by as many as 24 points in the second half, holding a 74-50 advantage with 4:19 to play following a pair of free throws by Marissa Miles.
CWRU's bench outscored Heidelberg reserves by a 35-20 margin, shot 45.6 percent (25-of-57) from the field, including 48.5 percent (16-of-33) in the first half, and was 20-of-24 from the free-throw line.
Schriber chipped in nine points for the Berg, which was 31.3 percent (21-of-67) shooting for the night, making just nine field goals after the break.
The Berg returns to OAC play Wednesday, Dec. 7 when it travels to Berea, Ohio to face Baldwin-Wallace College at 7:30 p.m. before closing the week at Muskingum University on Saturday, Dec. 10.