BY RACHEL CHARLTON, Staff Reporter
The Sodexo Tip-Off Classic, which signaled the start of the regular season for Central’s women basketball team, proved to be a rollercoaster. The Wildcats experienced their second loss but also their first win of this year
After falling 91-60 in an exhibition game against NCAA Division I Seattle University earlier this month, the Wildcats struggled to gain ground in Friday’s game against Point Loma University, losing 74-62.
The loss was the first of Central’s regular season putting their record at 0-1 overall. Point Loma, a second-year NCAA Division II provisional member from San Diego, upped their record to 1-0 overall with the win.
Senior guard Jessica VanDyke marked her eighth career double-double by scoring 20 points and making 10 rebounds against the Sea Lions. VanDyke made 13 of her 20 points in the first half alone as well as five of seven shot attempts before the break.
Central led the scoreboard for more than 12 minutes during the opening period, but Point Loma’s three-pointer in the last seconds of the first half gave them a two-point edge, 35-33.
The Wildcats came back strong after halftime though with senior guard Ally Schmitt making a three-pointer. Central kept the lead until the remaining 16:54 as Point Loma began to build the deficit into the double-figures.
A 7-0 run by the Sea Lions quickly turned into a 20-3 surge. Point Loma’s spurt proved to be a drastic as just eight and a half minutes later the Wildcats trailed 60-47.
Senior Amber Moser tallied 10 points and six rebounds with junior Courtney Johnson scoring 12 points off the bench. No other players made more than five points in the game.
Despite the loss, the Wildcats came back strong Saturday to battle Montana Tech, 63-58, for the win.
VanDyke continued to be a formidable force, scoring 16 of the team’s 30 points in the first half. The 5-foot-9-guard made six of seven first-half shots with four of five coming from three-point range.
Central’s pair of 11-point leads in the opening 20 minutes wasn’t enough to keep the Orediggers at bay and the Wildcats found themselves trailing once by two again at halftime.
Montana Tech, a NAIA member, went on a 9-0 run in the beginning of the second half giving the Orediggers a seven point buffer of 43-36.
Despite the close margin, Central would not trail again.
The Wildcats outscored Montana Tech 33-26 and forced 18 Oredigger turnovers in the second half alone to help secure the win. Central also managed to cut down their turnovers to 15, down from 20 in Friday’s game against Point Loma.
The regular season continues with the Wildcat’s home opener next Saturday (Nov. 23) against Quest University (B.C.) with a noon tip-off at Nicholson Pavilion.
