Women's Basketball 1/14/2008 12:00:00 AM

Golden Eagles Rebound with Win over IPFW, 81-62

FORT WAYNE, Ind. - A 48-point second-half performance was enough to give the Oral Roberts University women's basketball team (10-6, 4-1 Summit League) the 81-62 victory over Summit League newcomers IPFW (5-11, 3-3 Summit League). The win moves ORU to 1-0 against the Mastodons.

Junior Rachel Watman was oh-so-close to tying her career scoring high of 26 with 25 points in the win, nailing 8-of-13 from field-goal range and 2-of-2 from behind the arc. Junior Mariana Camargo came out hot in the second half, scoring 12 of her 16 points, as well as dishing out three assists and three rebounds. Sophomore Janae Voelker finished with 12 points and eight boards in the win.

Freshman Leanne Robison and junior Demesha Heard came off the bench to provide valuable minutes for the Golden Eagles with Robison recording seven points, the most for her since returning from her injury two weeks ago. Heard came in to score five points and snag two steals for ORU.

ORU shot a season-high 60.5 percent (26-43) in the 81-62 win over IPFW.

Back-to-back three-pointers by Rachel Watman and Whitney Wehmeyer would get the Golden Eagles off to a nice start in the first minutes of the game. From there, ORU would go on a 6-0 run to give the Golden Eagles a 9-2 lead. The 'Dons would find Samantha Edwards open for a jumper, followed by a quick layin by Tina Moen to squeeze ORU's lead to 9-6 with 15 minutes left in the first half.

IPFW would take its first lead of the game at the 14-minute mark after a 5-0 run and from that point on, back-and-forth both teams would go, tying the game six times over the next seven minutes. The Mastodons' Courtney Reed would nail a trey from the right-side corner to give IPFW its biggest lead of the game at two, 20-18.

The Golden Eagles would start a 7-0 run to grab the 30-25 advantage, aided by two-straight layups by Demesha Heard, but the 'Dons would stomp right back to tie the game at 30 apiece, capped by a three-point play by Johnna Lewis-Carlisle. Janae Voelker would regain ORU's lead at the 1:16 mark with an easy lay-in, sending ORU into the locker room with a three-point advantage at the half, 33-30.

The Mastodons would open the second half on a 13-2 run to give the 'Dons their biggest lead of the game at eight, 43-35, with six of those points coming from the quick Johnna Lewis-Carlisle. The Golden Eagles would get right back in it with back-to-back three-point plays by Rachel Watman and Jenny Hardin to get within two of IPFW, 45-43, with 14:26 left to play.

ORU would tie the ballgame at the 13:05 mark, 45-45, with a Watman jumper, but a Juliane Hohne hook would reclaim IPFW's lead. Both teams would trade points for the next seven minutes with ORU tying it back up at 52-52 with a Janae Voelker free-throw with 8:30 left. Rachel Watman would score five-straight points for the Golden Eagles to take the lead for the first time since the 17:39 mark in the second half.

ORU would extend its lead to 12 with three minutes left, going off of an 18-5 run, and would hold that lead the remainder of the game, to move on to an 81-62 victory.

ORU will return to the Mabee Center for the first time in 2008 for a Saturday match-up with Western Illinois and a Monday night match-up with IUPUI.

-ORU-

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Players Mentioned

#11 Janae Voelker: G/F; 6' 0"; Redshirt; Newton HS

#25 Leanne Robison: G; 6' 0"; Redshirt; Community RV-I HS

#5 Rachel Watman: G; 5' 8"; Junior; Endeavour Sports HS

#23 Whitney Wehmeyer: G; 5' 11"; Redshirt; Poth HS

Players Mentioned

#11 Janae Voelker
: 6' 0"; Redshirt; Newton HS
: G/F

#25 Leanne Robison
: 6' 0"; Redshirt; Community RV-I HS
: G

#5 Rachel Watman
: 5' 8"; Junior; Endeavour Sports HS
: G

#23 Whitney Wehmeyer
: 5' 11"; Redshirt; Poth HS
: G