For Immediate Release:
Jan. 5, 2007

MEADVILLE, Pa. — The Earlham College women’s basketball team started 2007 on Friday night with a 55-44 loss to North Coast Athletic Conference foe Allegheny College.

First-year Shontavia Davis (Indianapolis, IN/Warren Central) led the Quakers with 11 points, while sophomore Tracy Hill (Copley, OH/Cuyahoga Valley Christian) and first-year Starr Gary (Indianapolis, IN/Northwest) tossed in seven points each.

Hill grabbed 13 rebounds to lead the Quakers with eight coming at the offensive end.

Junior Whitney McBurrows (Lansing, MI/J.W. Sexton) injured her right ankle in the first half, which forced Earlham Head Coach Liana Coutts to make some changes in the lineup. “We had to play some people out of position and they stepped up,” she said.  

The Quakers led early in the contest at after Gary scored to make it 5-4 with 15:21 remaining in the opening stanza. Allegheny went on a 13-2 run to take control 17-7 at the 9:26 mark. The Gators (10-2, 4-0) maintain that advantage and led 29-19 at intermission.

In the second half, the Quakers rallied and pulled to within three points. “We did a pretty good job,” Coutts said. “We had a couple of minutes where we didn’t focus defensively, but we’re doing a lot of good things. We have to work on putting a whole game together and we’re headed in the right direction.”

First-year Jayana Sims (Indianapolis, IN/Ben Davis) was fouled hitting a basket with 9:19 left in the game to make it 35-32. Sims missed the free throw chance and that was as close as the Quakers would get.

Earlham (2-11, 1-3) is back on the court Saturday at Hiram College. The NCAC contest gets underway at 1 p.m. Box Score.

—EC —

Contact:
Don Tincher, sports information director
765/983-1795 — E-Mail Don