Cedarville Sprints Past Indy

by Tim Miller

The Cedarville Lady Jackets (4-1) avenged last season’s loss to the University of Indianapolis Greyhounds on Monday night, handling Indy 77-55. The Lady Jackets shot 53 percent from the field and 43 percent from behind the 3-point line in the game.

Senior guard Kaitlyn Holm and junior guard Regina Hochstetler paired up to score 19 each. Senior forward Breanne Watterworth came right behind with 16 points and nine rebounds.

Hochstetler said the team’s hot start to the season from the field came from getting extra shots up before and after practices.

“We’ve gotten in the gym a lot on our own this preseason,” Hochstetler said. “You still see them getting into the gym and I think people are starting to feel confident in themselves.”

Cedarville scored the first nine points of the game to jump in front. Holm pitched in two layups during the run.

With 3:49 left in the first quarter, Hochstetler nailed a triple, giving Cedarville its first double-digit lead at 18-6.

The Lady Jackets kept their distance from Indy and took a 25-12 lead into the second quarter. Hochstetler netted a 3-pointer at the buzzer to close the first. Hochstetler scored nine points in the first frame and senior forward Taylor Buckley added four points and four rebounds in just five minutes of action.

Cedarville scored on three straight possessions to take a 20-point lead on the Greyhounds. Two triples and a quick shot from Watterworth gave the Lady Jackets a 38-18 lead with four minutes left in the second quarter.

The Lady Jackets maintained their 20-point lead at the half and led 44-24 after two quarters. Cedarville shot 62 percent from the field in the quarter, including shooting 75 percent from behind the arc, and Watterworth added six points. Freshman guard Stevie Johnting dished out three assists.

The Greyhounds jumped out to score seven points to open the third, cutting Cedarville’s lead to 47-31. Slow defenses rotations and failed help defense allowed Indy to get hot offensively, and Cedarville called a timeout with 8:08 left.

Indy’s press successfully stifled the Lady Jackets, and after another turnover, Cedarville led just 53-40 with four minutes remaining.

“The entire second half was a little uncomfortable,” head coach Kari Hoffman said. “You could feel the momentum swinging the other way, but we kept grinding it out and got some huge stops and huge rebounds towards the end of the game.”

The Lady Jackets pulled away in the final minutes of the quarter and led 60-44 at the end of the third. Holm added six points and Hochstetler chipped in four.

Cedarville had no problems with Indy in the fourth and cruised by the Greyhounds, outscoring them by six in the final quarter.

Cedarville will host Wilberforce on Thursday at 5:30 for its next game. The Lady Jackets handled Wilberforce in each of their meetings last season, as Cedarville won each game by at least 30 points.

Tim Miller is a sophomore marketing major and sports editor for Cedars. He enjoys having a baby face, sipping Dunkin Donuts coffee and striving to be the optimal combination of Dwight Schrute and Ron Swanson.