Nov. 8, 2010
Call Bowling Contact Michael Stambaugh for more information - 386.481.2278 -
HOWELL, N.J. - Opening their season on the road this past weekend, the Lady Wildcats learned a lot about team chemistry as the tournament progressed. B-CU traveled to the Fairleigh-Dickinson New Jersey Jamboree, a tournament filled with some of the most impressive teams in the northeast. The team finished 15th, making their way back from a challenging first day, but as the tournament rolled on, the Lady Wildcat bowlers began to come together and play to their potential.
B-CU fell in all but one of their matches the first day, overcoming Adelphi, 753-702, during the tournament seeding and preliminary round, all Baker matches. The Lady Wildcats lost some heartbreakers on day one, and found challenges in getting a win in Team play on the second day of the tournament.
Coming into the final day, composed of a bracket-style playoff, the Lady Wildcats' senior leadership stepped up and led the team to playing at the level they should be playing. The Lady Wildcats made a three-match sweep in Baker play to go 3-0 on the day. First, they took down Howard in four straight games, 624-509. Next up, a come from behind win over Hampton 4-3, 1118-863, and finally a 4-1 win over Monmouth.
"Though we experienced some growing pains in our first tournament, on days one and two, the ladies made mental as well as physical adjustments going into the last day," said Head Coach Tony O'Neal. "They ended on a very positive note, with a lot of hard work, and grew up tremendously. I was proud of the ladies because they battled and never quit."
Taking charge in a senior leadership role, Jazmin Sutherland led the team, putting in a total pinfall of 860 in Team play, with an average of 172, and a high game of 192. However, her importance truly shined through in helping the team to victories in Sunday's Baker matches.
"Jazmin really stepped up, especially in Baker; she made shot after shot after shot," O'Neal said of the senior's play. "The team put her in position to close the door, or catch up for the win, and she did that."
Ypretycia Crumity also put in solid play in the tournament, bowling three of her highest-scoring games as a Lady Wildcat.
As one of the few sports that follow that pattern, the Lady Wildcats (4-9) head right into the important tournaments, opening the MEAC season next weekend, as they travel to the first MEAC Southern Divisional tournament in Greensboro, N.C.
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