Top-ranked Tigers win Hasbrook championship against Rockford

Monday, December 31, 2012
Members of the 2012 All-Hasbrook Tournament team (from left) Erin Ryczek, Kate Walker, Kat Molloy, Alex Gasaway and former players Ann Hall, Sarah McKay, Lindsey Rush, Erin Miller and Dana Ferguson.Not pictured are Spalding senior Kelly Harrod and Rose-Hulman freshman Addie Johnson. (Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN)

Saturday's win over Rose-Hulman was just a warm-up for the DePauw women's basketball team as they feasted on Rockford College in the Hasbrook Tournament championship game Sunday, winning 73-43.

Senior point guard Kate Walker was named tournament MVP, having averaged 10.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists in just 18 minutes per game.

"It's nice to be awarded that, especially at the Hasie Tournament," Walker said. "I know this is going to sound corny, but Hasie (former DePauw guard Amy Hasbrook) ... coach talks so highly about her. So being the MVP of that tournament is kind of a big deal.

"In my head, what coach has described Hasie as is the hard-worker, the person who doesn't necessarily get the most points, but puts their whole heart on the court."

The Tigers dominated from the start, jumping out to a 30-4 lead before allowing the Regents their first field goal with 5:18 left in the first half.

After spending most of game Saturday in a 2-3 zone defense, DPU switched back to their customary man-to-man scheme for the final.

"(Zone defense) is something new that we've added in the last three or four years," Tigers head coach Kris Huffman said. "It helps us when we go against teams with a 6'2" center, because we're undersized ... We're just making sure that we're prepared to play anybody, so it's something that we continue to work on."

Height on the front line wasn't a problem against Rockford and the tenacious defense of DePauw kept the Regents out of the paint.

"I always prefer man," Walker said. "I've played man my whole life. I never played zone until I came to DePauw, and even then we don't play it all that often."

The Tigers held a 41-15 lead at halftime, but only a slight 17-16 rebounding advantage.

"We always want to focus on rebounding," Huffman said. "Especially with this being the Hasbrook Tournament, and that was something that she did so well. We talked this week about making sure that this was something that we owned this weekend. We tried to own the glass."

The Tigers hauled in 21 rebounds, including 14 offensive rebounds, in the second half.

With the game well in hand, starters moved aside early after the break, allowing DPU's second unit to carry them the rest of the way.

Senior Kathleen Molloy was the games leading scorer, finishing with a career-high 15 points, making five-of-nine shots (four-of-five threes).

"I knew I was shooting kind of well, but I didn't know it was my career-high," Molloy, whose bio on the team website lists her praying for Hasbrook to get ready for each game, said.

Molloy and junior Alex Gasaway joined Walker on the all-tournament team.

DePauw plays again Friday when the team hosts conference-rival Allegheny at 6 p.m. The men's game follows.

DePauw senior point guard Kate Walker lines up for a runner over Rockford junior Destiny Chaney. Walker was named 2012 Amy Hasbrook Tournament MVP. (Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN)



At DePauw
Rockford 15 28 -- 43
DePauw 41 32 -- 73

Individual scoring
Rockford: Ryczek 6-14, 2-2, 17; Nichols 3-6, 2-3, 8; Bjerning 2-4, 0-0, 4; Chaney 1-5, 2-4, 4; Woods 1-5, 0-0, 3; Scott 1-2, 0-0, 3; Lengjak 1-6, 0-0, 2; Lawler 1-5, 0-0, 2; Johnson 0-5, 0-0, 0; Fowler 0-0, 0-0, 0.
DePauw: Molloy 5-9, 1-2, 15; Abendroth 4-4, 0-0, 10; Walker 3-5, 2-2, 9; Gasaway 4-7, 0-0, 9; Trees 2-6, 2-2, 6; Pearson 2-4, 1-2, 5; Ross 2-5, 1-2, 5; McGinnis 2-2, 0-0, 4; Skordos 1-2, 0-0, 3; Stephens 1-4, 1-2, 3; Ondik 1-4, 0-0, 2; Keller 1-4, 0-0, 2; Francis 0-0, 0-0, 0; Stoner 0-2, 0-0, 0; McDonagh 0-2, 0-0, 0; Hacker 0-1, 0-0, 0; Lukemeyer 0-1, 0-0, 0; Frost 0-0, 0-0, 0.

Team scoring (three-pointers)
Rockford 16-52 (7-14), 4-6, 43; DePauw 28-62 (9-19), 8-12, 73.

Rebounds (offensive)
Rockford 33 (16); DePauw 38 (18).

Turnovers
Rockford 22; DePauw 10.

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