Junior forward Maura Schorr and senior guard/forward Emily Plachta each had a double-double for the second time in the last three games, leading the Case Western Reserve University women's basketball team to a 53-47 win over Bethany College in Bethany, West Virginia, on Tuesday night.
The win continued a hot start to the season for the Spartans, who improved to 5-1 overall, while the Bison fell to 2-4 following the loss.
Stats and Standouts
-
Schorr led all Spartans with 17 points in the game and added 11 rebounds, two steals, and a block. It was her second double-double of the year and the fifth of her career.
-
Plachta finished the contest with 10 points and a career-high 15 rebounds with an assist, two steals, and two blocks. It was her second double-double of the season and of her career.
-
Junior forward Biz Watson registered a career-best 10 rebounds in the game and scored five points with two assists, a career-best four steals, and one block.
-
Junior guard Mya Hartjes added 11 points, three rebounds, and a team-best four assists.
-
The Spartans outrebounded Bethany 54-30 in the game and held a 16-4 edge in second-chance points.
First Period
-
Schorr scored the first four points of the game, giving the Spartans a 4-0 lead with 7:14 left in the opening frame.
-
Schorr later converted a traditional three-point play and then made a layup on the team's next possession to give the Spartans an 11-5 lead with 4:57 on the clock.
-
CWRU led by six, 15-9, with 2:51 left in the period, but the Bison scored the final four points of the stanza to pull within two, 15-13, by the end of the first.
-
Schorr scored nine points during the opening period to lead all players.
Second Period
-
Bethany made the first basket of the second period to knot the score at 15-15.
-
The Spartans regained the lead on a free throw by Plachta with 8:59 on the clock and remained ahead for the rest of the period. A three by Hartjes extended CWRU's lead to five, 22-17, with 4:38 to go in the half.
-
CWRU went into halftime with a 24-21 lead over Bethany.
Third Period
-
Bethany scored the first four points of the half to take their first lead of the game by the 8:38 mark.
-
Plachta responded with back-to-back baskets to put the Spartans back ahead by three, 28-25, with 7:24 remaining in the third.
-
The Bison answered with six-straight points of their own, going in front 31-28 with 5:07 on the clock.
-
Sophomore guard Taylor Angielski hit her second three of the quarter with under a minute remaining in the period to put CWRU back in front by two, and a late free throw by Schorr gave CWRU a 39-36 advantage heading into the final quarter.
Fourth Period
-
Bethany would tie the game at 41-41 with 8:02 remaining in the game, and led by three, 46-43, with 5:39 on the clock.
-
CWRU answered with a 7-0 run to take the lead for good in the contest. Watson, who scored five points and collected five rebounds in the fourth, put CWRU back in front, 47-46, with a layup with 3:40 on the clock, and Plachta converted an and-one to increase the CWRU lead to four with 2:25 left.
-
The Bison hit a free throw to make it a one-possession game again, but Watson followed with a putback basket to put the Spartans in front by five with under a minute to play, and CWRU held Bethany scoreless the rest of the way to secure the victory.
Spartan Notes
-
The Spartans improved to 4-5 all-time against Bethany. This was the first meeting between the two teams since the 2006-07 season.
-
Plachta broke her career-high in rebounds for the second time in the last three games. The 15 rebounds were tied for the 13th-most in a single game in program history. She surpassed 300 rebounds for her career with the effort.
-
CWRU improved to 3-1 in games away from Horsburgh Gymnasium this season.
-
This is the first time since 2022-23 and the eighth time overall in program history that the team has won five of its first six games.
Up Next
The Spartans will return home to Cleveland to host Marietta College on Wednesday, December 3, at 7:00 p.m. inside Horsburgh Gymnasium.
