Tigers remain perfect in SCAC action

Monday, January 3, 2011
Katie Alrich, shown here against John Carroll, equalled a career-high by scoring 23 points in Sunday's win against Centre.

GREENCASTLE -- Katie Aldrich poured in 23 points, equaling her career high, and had a season-best nine rebounds and Kate Walker had a career-high 16 points to lead DePauw to a runaway victory over Centre, 77-57 Sunday. The Tigers remain perfect in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference.

Aldrich, a 6-foot-1 junior from Lexington, Ky., in her first season as a starter for the Tigers made 8-of-11 field goals and was 7-of-9 at the foul line. Walker, a 5-foot-6 sophomore guard from Perry Meridian in Indianapolis, was 6-of-10 from the field including 1-of-1 on 3-pointers and 3-of-3 on free throws. She also had six rebounds.

Katie Mathews also was superb for the Tigers with 14 points on 7-of-11 field goals.

"Katie Aldrich had a great game where she was really hitting on all cylinders," DePauw coach Kris Huffman said. "I thought she had a tremendous game. She wanted the ball inside, defended well, boxed out well. I really thought it was a key to our win.

"I thought Katie Walker had a nice game where she really took the ball to the rim well a couple of times and when she's explosive off the dribble, she makes us better as well."

DePauw (10-2, 3-0 SCAC) extended its winning streak to five games. It was the 57th straight victory at home SCAC games for the Tigers, who are ranked 11th by D3hoops.com and 15th in the USA Today/ESPN Division III Coaches' Poll.

"I don't rate it as a top performance of the year, but I rate it as a must-win game, a conference game at home against an outstanding team," Huffman said. "We're thrilled with the win and we have some things that we want to go back and work on this week.

"They're a tough team to defend with (Maggie) Prewitt at the point. She can do so many things with the ball and she makes everyone around her so much better. And then they have (Lauren) Huter inside. A good win for us, no doubt."

Prewitt, a 5-foot-9 junior, scored nine points on 3-of-14 shooting, 3-of-6 on 3-pointers, against DePauw's man-to-man defense. She had a 17.7 points per game average going into the game. Huter, a 6-foot-2 junior, who was matched up against Alrich, had eight points and two rebounds.

DePauw closed out the first half with a 19-3 run for a 42-24 lead.

Centre (7-5, 1-2 SCAC), located in Danville, Ky., had trailed 16-6 early, but narrowed the gap to 23-21 on a five-point play with 6:39 remaining. Angela Tronzo hit a 3-pointer and, simultaneously, DePauw was called for a foul away from the ball that sent Chelsea Benham to the free throw line for a one-and-one. She made both.

Walker scored following an offensive rebound, Mathews scored on a fast break and Aldrich had a conventional three-point play.

Prewitt made a three-pointer, but the Tigers scored the final 12 points on a jumper by Walker, a drive by Mathews, a lay-up by Ali Ross on an in-bounds play, a 14-foot bank shot by Alex Gasaway, a basket inside by Aldrich and an eight-foot turnaround jumper by Aldrich.

"We had a nice run at the end of the half. They had their five-point play and then we responded and had a little bit of a run," Huffman said.

DePauw's lead in the second half was never less than 14 and the Tigers led 77-48 with 4:23 remaining when Huffman pulled Aldrich and the rest of the starters.

DePauw's next game is Friday at Oglethorpe in an SCAC game. The Tigers also play Sewanee on the road on Sunday before returning home on Jan. 14 to face Millsaps.

At DePauw

Centre 24 33 -- 57

DePauw 42 35 -- 77

CENTRE

Winstead 1-8 0-0 2, Benham 4-6 4-5 12, M. Prewitt 3-14 0-0 9, Huter 3-6 2-2 8, Tronzo 1-6 0-0 3, Burke 1-2 2-2 5, Holle 0-0 0-0 0, Mire 0-0 1-2 1, Goatley 0-3, 0-0 0, Anderson 0-0 0-0 0, Bressler 0-2 2-4 2, E. Prewitt 1-1 0-0 2, Baechle 4-6 4-4 12, West 0-1 0-0 0, Totals 18-55 15-19 57.

DEPAUW

Goff 2-6 2-2 7, Mathews 7-11 0-0 14, Pearson 0-3 4-4 4, Walker 6-10 3-3 16, Aldrich 8-11 7-9 23, Vandivier 0-0 0-0 0, Radcliff 0-2 0-0 0, Denbow 1-2 0-0 2, Gasaway 3-8 0-0 6, Ross 2-3 0-1 5, McGinnis 0-1 0-0 0, Freestone 0-1 0-0 0, Totals 29-58 16-19 77.

3-point field goals: C 6-21 (M. Prewitt 3-6, Burke 1-2, Tronzo 1-3, Winstead 1-7, Bressler 0-1, Goatley 0-2), DP 3-11 (Walker 1-1, Ross 1-1, Goff 1-4, Radcliff 0-2, Gasaway 0-3). Rebounds: C 29 (M. Prewitt 8), DP 40 (Aldrich 9, Gasaway 7, Walker 6). Assists: C 9 (M. Prewitt 5), DP 12 (Walker 4, Goff 4). Turnovers: C 13, DP 10. Total fouls: C 16, DP 18. Fouled out: None.