John Carroll athletics photo

Beth Switzler has spent a lot of time focusing on being a better rebounder this season. At 5-8, that isn’t the easiest thing to do, but the senior standout for John Carroll women’s basketball team seems to have the hang of it.

Switzler grabbed 20 rebounds in Saturday’s regular season finale against Muskingum, helping the Blue Streaks earn a 71-56 win, the fourth in a row overall. Switzler also scored 14 points.

“I’ve focused a lot on rebounding because that is the role I’ve been asked to be in with Meghan (Weber) being hurt,” Switzler said. “It’s a challenge because of my size but I’ve put in the time and energy to improve at it. The hard work is paying off.”

Switzler has always understood the importance of hard work. Her dad coached her starting in the third grade and continued to push her to be at her best all the way through high school.

“My dad was a big help to me and I think because I learned so much from him,” I was able to adjust to the college game early on. The game was definitely much faster, and that took time to get used to, but I was able to come in and have success because of my dad.”

Switzler averaged 7.0 points and 4.6 rebounds as a freshman but took her game to another level as a sophomore. She started every game that season and finished the year averaging 11.5 points per game.

A year ago, she clicked for 11.1 points per game and finished second on the team in rebounding at 7.2 per game. This season has been more of the same. Switzler is averaging 12.9 points per game and is grabbing a team-best 9.7 rebounds per outing.

Switzler has played a key role in helping the Blue Streaks put together another remarkable season. JCU is 22-3, tying the win total from a year ago. The 22 wins also ties the record for most wins in a season.

Katlyn Spahar leads the Blue Streaks in scoring, clicking for 20.1 points per game. She has knocked down 31 3-pointers and has dished out 66 assists. She has also tallied 68 steals.

Emily Taylor has shined as well. She is averaging 10.8 points per game and leads the team in 3-pointers with 44. Taylor has dished out 76 assists.

“It’s been a very successful season so far,” Switzler said. “We’ve taken it one game at a time and we’ve worked hard to get to where we are now.”

Switzler has thrived off the court as well. She is an exercise science major and works as a student athletic trainer when she’s not playing basketball.

“I’ve always loved sports and this is another way to be involved in it,” Switzler said. “It gives you a different look at athletes. As an athlete, even when you are hurt, you don’t want to come out of the game. You want to keep playing, but when I’m working with other athletes that are hurt, I talk about injuries and the recovery process. It’s a neat thing to be involved in. I enjoy it.”

Right now, Switzler and her teammates are enjoying the moment.

JCU, which is 15-3 in the Ohio Athletic Conference and the second seed in the upcoming OAC tournament, just completed a perfect home season. The Blue Streaks went 12-0, finishing unbeaten at home for the first time since 1977 when it went 4-0.

Now comes the conference tourney and an opportunity to return to the NCAA tournament. A year ago, the Blue Streaks were the OAC tournament runner-up and lost 120-86 to Thomas More in the second round of the NCAA tourney.

“It’s a new season now and we’re taking the time to prepare for it,” Switzler said. “It’s amazing how we’ve come together as a team and how we all play a role in the success. We remember what it was like to be in the tournament last year and we want to experience that feeling again.”

Switzler is ready for the challenge and thankful she has had an opportunity to experience life as a student-athlete.

“I can’t imagine what it would be like if I didn’t play college basketball,” Switzler said. “Playing basketball has helped me with time management and being responsible for what needs to be done. It’s been a great experience for me.”

Cowboys are champions

Hardin-Simmons’ men’s basketball team earned a share of the American Southwest Conference championship with its 84-79 win over Mary Hardin-Baylor Saturday.

The Cowboys trailed 43-39 at halftime before rallying in the second half earning the second seed in the ASC tournament. Hardin-Simmons shared the title with East Texas Baptist. Both teams finished 15-5 in conference play. The Cowboys are 19-6 overall.

Justin Jones turned in a stellar effort as he scored 22 points, grabbed eight rebounds and blocked eight shots. He is averaging 13.0 points per game.

Hardin-Simmons has won three consecutive games and will play Texas-Dallas in the opening round of the tourney Thursday. The Cowboys split with the Comets during the regular season.

Business as usual

DePauw’s women’s basketball team continued its dominance of the North Coast Athletic Conference Saturday, winning the title for the fourth consecutive season with a 74-69 win over Ohio Wesleyan Saturday.

The Tigers, 23-1 overall, won their 20th consecutive game overall and finish the regular season at 16-0 in league play, then added a quarterfinal win in the NCAC tournament. It is the third time in four years that they made it through the NCAC schedule without a loss.

Lauren Abendroth led the Tigers with 13 points. Savannah Trees scored 11 points and moved into second on the all-time scoring list with 1,385 points. Trees is part of a senior class that has won 114 games and lost only five times in four seasons.

DePauw has won 66 consecutive games at home and owns a 95-game win streak at home against conference opponents.

Super seven

Waynesburg finished in second place in the Presidents’ Athletic Conference standings but the Yellow Jackets are no doubt one of the hottest teams in the league.

The Yellow Jackets won their seventh consecutive game Saturday, edging Geneva 70-62 to improve to 16-9 overall and 12-4 in the conference.

Jason Propst rose to the occasion as he scored 14 points, one of four players to finish in double figures for the Yellow Jackets, who have been a different team since losing five of its first six games of the season.

Waynesburg is scheduled to open conference tourney play against Grove City Tuesday at home where it is 9-2 on the year. The Yellow Jackets are the second seed in the tourney.

Sharing a title

Texas Lutheran finished in a three-way tie for first place atop the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference standings after beating Southwestern 66-59 Friday.

The Bulldogs trailed the Pirates by one game going into the showdown and ended up with the No. 2 seed in the conference tournament.

Taylor Dydalewicz, the leading scorer in the SCAC, poured in 17 points to pace the Bulldogs, who have won eight consecutive games. She drilled three 3-pointers to highlight her effort.

Chelsey Stolle stepped up as well, grabbing 10 rebounds and blocking seven shots, falling two blocks shy of her single-game record. Stolle is the Bulldogs’ top blocker in school history and has blocked 79 shots this season.

Tremendous Thunder

Trine’s men’s basketball team not only finished in a tie for second in the MIAA this season, with 17 wins, the Thunder has its highest win total in the D-III era of the program.

Trine is 17-8 overall, its best record since the 2000-01 season. The Thunder finished 10-4 in conference and will be the No. 2 seed in the conference tourney.

Jared Holmquist, the Thunder’s second-leading scorer, poured in 26 points and also grabbed nine rebounds. He has led Trine in scoring in its last two games.

Tyler Good rose to the occasion as he scored 18 points for the Thunder, which closed out the regular season on a two-game win streak.

The Thunder, which won 15 games a year ago, will host Hope in the semifinal round of the MIAA tournament. Trine will be seeking its first trip to the championship game.

Lions on a roll

Finlandia enters the Great South Athletic Conference tournament on a five-game win streak.

The Lions closed out the regular season Saturday with a 58-29 win over Mount Mary. Marissa Burke paved the way with 22 points. The Lions shot only 29.1 percent from the field but held Mount Mary to 24.1 percent shooting from the floor.

Finlandia is 13-10 on the year and has been fueled by the play of Burke all season.

Burke is averaging 18.8 points per outing. She has knocked down 87 3-pointers and is grabbing 7.6 rebounds per game. Burke has also been a solid defensive player, racking up 48 steals and blocking 44 shots.

The Lions average 65.3 ppg as a team and allow 59.9.