TIFFIN, Ohio – Behind game-highs of 18 points and eight rebounds from senior forward Erin Hollinger (Chardon, Ohio/Chardon) coupled with a stout defensive effort in the final 20 minutes from the Case Western Reserve University women's basketball team lifted the visitors to a 79-57 non-conference victory versus Heidelberg University on Monday evening inside Seiberling Gymnasium.
The Spartans win their third-straight game and improve to 5-3 overall. They will return to action this Saturday when they play host to The College of Wooster (1-4) inside Horsburgh Gymnasium. With the loss, Heidelberg slips to 2-5 overall.
As a team, Case's defense buckled down limiting the Student Princes to just 31.3 percent shooting from the floor (21-of-67) and 34.6 percent (9-of-26) from three-point range for the game including marks of 22.2 percent (8-of-26) and 31.3 percent (5-of-16) from beyond the arc in the second half.
Heidelberg scored the opening five points on a lay-up by Megan Miller and a three-point field goal by Emily Giel with 18:29 left in the opening half. The two teams traded baskets over the following minutes with the hosts tying their largest lead of the game once again at 10-5. However, the Spartans answered with a quick 7-2 run that spanned the next 84 seconds capped off by a jumper in the paint by junior center Emily Mueller (Pittsburgh, Pa./Upper St. Clair), knotting the contest at 12-12.
The contest swayed back and forth with the Student Princes grabbing a narrow one-point advantage at 26-25 with 6:41 left. Once again, the Spartans reeled off a 9-0 run covering 3:16 finished off on a jumper by junior guard Evy Iacono (Cincinnati, Ohio/Mount Notre Dame) and assisted by classmate Erica Iafelice (North Canton, Ohio/Canton Hoover) giving the Spartans a 34-26 advantage. That lead grew to 11 at 43-32 just :39 before the halftime break on an old-fashioned three-point play from Mueller before Heidelberg's Molly Schriber knocked down a three pulling the hosts to within eight at 43-35 at the break.
Giel knocked down a three on the Student Prince's opening possession cutting the Case advantage to five. Once again, the Spartans rattled off a 9-0 run, including five points from freshman Brooke Orcutt (Morrison, Colo./Dakota Ridge), pushing their lead to 14 at 52-38 with 15:52 left in the contest. The Student Princes weren't able to draw any closer as the visitors pulled away and eventually cruised to the 22-point victory.
Hollinger's 18 points led 14 Spartans who found the scoring column for the game. The fourth-year Spartan also added three blocks and a pair of assists to her stat line. Iacono and Orcutt each finished in double figures with 15 and 10 points, respectively. Mueller finished with an impressive all-around game of five points, five rebounds and a career-high five blocked shots.
Heidelberg was paced by Kathleen Phillips with 16 points while Giel added 14 markers.