Quakers face NCAC foe Wittenberg at home

For Immediate Release:
Jan. 11, 2006

RICHMOND, Ind. — A difficult stretch early in the second half hurt the Earlham College women’s basketball team Wednesday night as the Quakers were defeated by Wittenberg University 67-53 on Schuckman Court in the Athletics and Wellness Center.

Earlham head coach Liana Coutts wants her team play every minute of each game. “We’re still continuing to try to work on mental toughness and be able to play a game for 40 (minutes),” Coutts said. “We are doing things well in the first half and playing teams pretty even. They’re making adjustments and we’ve got to pick up on those adjustments sooner and have counters for that.”

The Quakers trailed 29-27 at intermission in the North Coast Athletic Conference game, but Wittenberg took control in the second half as the Tigers put together a 20-2 run in the first 10 minutes of the period.

First-year LeShea Orr (Dayton, OH/Jefferson) led the Quakers with 14 points, while grabbing six rebounds. Sophomore Chelsea Caywood (Richmond, IN/Richmond) added 11 points as first-year Tasha Merrill (Cedar Grove, IN/Franklin County) pulled down seven rebounds. First-year Janee’ Covington (Indianapolis, IN/Arlington) tossed in nine points

Junior Guin Summerton (Williams, IN/Shoals) led the Quakers early in the game with all eight of her points in the contest to give the Quakers a 14-11 lead with 15:39 left in the first half.

Orr’s basket at the 7:10 mark gave the Quakers their largest lead of the opening period at 26-20 before the Tigers rallied to lead by two at the half. Wittenberg worked its way to a 49-29 advantage with 10:06 remaining. Earlham battled back cutting the lead 10 points in the final three minutes of the game.

Earlham (3-12, 2-4) is at Ohio Wesleyan University on Saturday. The NCAC contest begins at 1 p.m. Box score.