Sat., Feb. 7, 2009

   GOSHEN, Ind. -- Even a false fire alarm didn't cool off the University of Saint Francis in the second half at Goshen College.
  The Lady Cougars (14-12, 7-5 MCC) outscored the Maple Leafs 46-25 in the second half and cruised to an 86-59 win shooting 61 percent in the second half.
  Senior Jamika Banks led USF scoring with 25 points and she added 11 rebounds to extend her streak of double doubles to seven. Banks scored 15 points in the first half helping USF take a 40-34 halftime lead.
  Chelsea Joseph came off the bench to lead USF rebounding with 10. Vini Dawson added 18 points, Jessica Teubert 16 points, and Marie Kaufmann 15.
  Somebody pulled a fire alarm and the Goshen gym was cleared with 5:37 to play in the second half and the Lady Cougars comfortably in front, 77-53.
  Neither team could produce a run in the first 11 minutes of the game, but leave it to Banks to get something started. She forged the seventh tie of the game at 8:43 in the first half, then after a USF steal, Banks bombed in a 3-pointer to put USF in front for good, 22-19, with 8:09 to play.
  Banks hit a jumper and hit a free throw personally accounting for the Lady Cougars charge to a 25-19 lead with 7:19 to play with an 8-0 run.
  "That's the way she's been playing," USF coach Gary Andrews said. "She carried us with a great first half."
  The Leafs didn't surrender and scraped back cutting the USF advantage to 1, 33-22 on a Cassie Greives basket. Banks missed a jumper, got her own miss and scored for a 35-32 USF lead with 2:09 to play. GC countered with two Heather Hahn free throws again slashing the USF lead to one, 35-34, with 1:30 to play. Next time down, Dawson answered the GC challenge with a 3-pointer and after a GC miss, Teubert scored just before the buzzer securing a 6-point lead for the Lady Cougars at halftime.
  Dawson opened the second half gunning in a 3-pointer and USF continued with a 9-1 start to open up a 49-35 on a Banks basket with 17:40 to play. GC cut the deficit to nine twice, the last time at 56-47 on a Hahn bucket with 12:23 to play. Kaumann scored on a feed from Banks pushing the USF lead to 58-47 and the Lady Cougars led by double digits the rest of the game. USF outscored GC 30-12 in the final 12 minutes to lock down the Lady Cougars' fifth win in the last six games.
  "We came out in the second half and hit 4 of our first six shots and the rise in confidence carried through the rest of the half," Andrews said. "We've got another big test on Wednesday."
  USF resumes play on Wednesday at Hutzell Athletic Center at 7 p.m. against Indiana Wesleyan University.