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John Carroll University Athletics

home of the Blue Streaks
Maddie Pietrowski vs. Mount Union
Tim Phillis
John Carroll stayed strong in the final seconds to earn the win. 
63
Mount Union MTU 4-4,1-1 OAC
64
Winner John Carroll JCU 5-1,2-0 OAC
Mount Union MTU
4-4,1-1 OAC
63
Final
64
John Carroll JCU
5-1,2-0 OAC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Mount Union MTU 25 12 6 20 63
John Carroll JCU 18 17 15 14 64

Game Recap: Women's Basketball | | Maddie Maselko, Senior Staff Writer

Women's Basketball Hangs On for a Close Home Win over the Purple Raiders

UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS -- After injuries forced underclassmen to step up in a close win over Muskingum on Saturday, the once again healthy John Carroll Women's Basketball team was ready to face the Purple Raiders of Mount Union.

Despite being down for most of the first half, the Blue Streaks beat Mount Union by a mere 64-63 to remain undefeated in the OAC.

"We have a young group that's learning how to play together and they're just trying to do whatever they need to do to win," said Head Coach Beth Andrews '15. "Tonight, we showed some grit. We figured it out and got a big win."

Both teams got off to a rocky start, but Mount Union found the hoop first with a clean three-pointer two minutes into the game.

The Purple Raiders continued to control the tempo of the first half of the first quarter, as the Blue Streaks had some issues getting started. They did not falter, though, tying the game on a layup by Kaelyn Underwood at eight apiece. Mount Union was able to find itself open in scoring positions, taking a 25-18 lead at the end of a tough first quarter for the Blue Streaks.

Shaking off the first quarter, continued scoring by Underwood and a 3-pointer by Halle Landies narrowed the Raiders' lead to a one-possession game at 26-23.

A Mount Union foul gave Landies the opportunity to add to the Blue Streaks' scoring, going two for two at the line to make it a one-point game (26-25) with more than half of the second quarter to go.

The Raiders were unshaken, continuing to push their lead until Landies made a layup to tie the game at 35 with only 53 seconds left. Mount Union responded quickly, keeping a narrow 37-35 lead when the buzzer sounded at the end of the first half.

The second half flipped a switch for the John Carroll offense. Jaylen Hoffmann got on the board first to start the second half and tie the game again. A layup by Maddie Pietrowski gave the Blue Streaks their first lead of the night, but the Raiders responded quickly.

The Blue Streak offense continued their momentum, putting up points and pulling away from Mount Union. They continued to make field goals to take a 50-43 lead with only one quarter to go.

Another layup by Underwood added to the John Carroll lead to open the fourth quarter. Mount Union was able to cut the Blue and Gold's lead, but the home team was unbothered, even as the Raiders narrowed the score to 54-51.

Hungry for another conference win, the Blue Streaks' put the pedal to the metal on both sides of the court, going unanswered for nine points and preventing the Raiders from scoring for almost six minutes.

A three-pointer eventually broke the John Carroll run with 2:26 left to go, with the Blue Streaks still up 63-54.

Mount Union was not going down without a fight, though. The Purple Raiders put up six points before calling a timeout with 27 seconds left. After they called the timeout, a Raider three-pointer tied the game with fourteen seconds to go, drawing JCU to take their own timeout to regroup in the crucial final seconds of regulation.

A Mount Union foul sent Pietrowski to the free-throw line for two with only four seconds left. She made one, giving John Carroll the razor-thin 64-63 lead. A block by Underwood as the clock hit zero sealed the deal, winning the game 64-63.

"It was a huge play for sure," said Andrews. "It sealed the deal and felt good to end the game that way. But the story tonight was that we out-rebounded them by 26, and that's the game. That saved us, because we didn't shoot well from three or the free throw line, so we got some extra possessions out of it. It's a great win over a great Mount Union team."

Underwood's talent continues to shine for the Blue Streaks, as she led the team in points and rebounds with 21 and 11, respectively. Pietrowski and Hoffmann were also top scorers for John Carroll putting up 15 and 10 points, including the game-winning free throw by Pietrowski. 

Pietrowski also had the second-most rebounds for John Carroll, just behind Underwood with 10, while Carmen Heuker led the team in assists. While Underwood is becoming accustomed to double-doubles, for Pietrowski, it was her first career double-double. 

"She was all over the place," Andrews exclaimed. "I didn't even realize she had all those rebounds, but her effort secured extra tip after extra rebound. I'm proud of her overall effort and not giving up on the play." 

John Carroll will next travel to Bexley, Ohio to take on the Comets of Capital University on Saturday, December 10 at 3 p.m.
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