Women’s Basketball wins Surf ’N Slam title
Deal named MVP of tournament
SAN DIEGO, Calif. - The Mars Hill women's basketball team captured the 2010 San Diego Surf 'N Slam Classic Championship with a 74-73 win over Ashland at Point Loma Nazarene University. Taylor Deal was named the Most Valuable Player of the tournament.
The Lions improve to 8-2. The Eagles fall to 8-4.
Deal gave Mars Hill the lead for good with a free throw with 1:19 left in the game. She finished the game with eight points and averaged 17 points and seven rebounds per game in two wins over Assumption and Ashland.
Brittini Young and Jocelyn Williams, with 16 points apiece, led four double-figure scorers for the Lions. Tyler Carlson and Margaret Harvey each had 11 and 10 points, respectively. Jessica Jones added 11 rebounds, including eight on the offensive glass.
In addition to Deal, Young was named to the all-tournament team.
Jena Stutzman recorded a game-high 29 points for Ashland. Elizabeth Tyler had 19 points.
Trailing 17-16 with 12:18 left in the first half, the Eagles went on an 11-0 run. A three-point basket by Stutzman sparked the spurt which gave Ashland a 27-17 advantage at the 9:55 mark in the first period.
However, the Lions responded and outscored the Eagles, 24-14, to close the first half. Back-to-back baskets by Williams tied the game at 41 at intermission.
Mars Hill grabbed a six-point lead with 11:06 left in the game. A jumper by Williams made the score 53-47 in favor of the Lions.
The rest of the game was a back-and-forth affair. Deal's free throw with 1:19 remaining gave Mars Hill a 72-71 upper hand. She missed the second free throw, but Jones grabbed the loose ball and found Harvey who drilled a basket to give the Lions a three-point cushion.
Stutzman found the bottom of the net with 50 seconds left in the game to cut the Ashland deficit to one point, but she was unable to convert a shot from behind the arc as time expired.
Mars Hill outrebounded Ashland, 51-39, including a 20-7 mark on the offensive boards.
The Lions will travel to Newberry on January 5. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m.