SCAC now the focus for DePauw women

After going 2-1 over the holidays, the 12th-ranked DePauw women's basketball team now turns its focus fully to the SCAC portion of its schedule. The Tigers (8-2, 1-0 SCAC) begin a string of conference games at 6 p.m. tonight when they host Sewanee.

"It's what our preparation has been for is this conference race," said DePauw coach Kris Huffman. "We're a little bit younger team, so we're just trying to get better every day. We're blending in some people who have great experience with some younger ones. I like how we're progressing."

The Tigers are coming off a 60-45 win over Northern Ohio on Dec. 29 in which they led from wire-to-wire. Gretchen Haehl and Jenna Fernandez led the Tigers with 16 points each in the contest. Cassie Pruzin matched a career-high with 12 rebounds. Pruzin also had six assists.

Sewanee (9-5, 1-0 WCC) comes off a 63-55 win over the University of Dallas. The victory snapped a five-game losing streak for Sewanee.

Anne Wills led Sewanee with 17 points in the contest, followed closely by Courtney Childress with 16. Chilress and Veronica Phillips were co-leaders with six rebounds each. Acacia Mack had four assists.

On the season, Sewanee presents a balanced offensive attack. Steffi Renninger leads the way at 12.2 points per game. Wills, Childress and Rachel Miller are all averaging more than nine poins per game.

Huffman noted Sewanee's balance as well as its ability to score in a variety of ways.

"They really execute their offense well," the coach said. "They can score with the three, they can put it on the floor and they can score in the post. They're a difficult team to defend because they do everything well."

With no one focal point, she said her team would focus on its team defense.

The Tigers get little break with the conference season now in full swing, as they will be at home again at noon Sunday when they host Oglethorpe.

Both games will be carried live on 91.5 WGRE.