LAST SECOND SHOT DOWNS WOMEN'S CAGERS

11/1/2008 12:00:00 AM

By: Patrick Moore
UPLAND, Ind. - - The Madonna women's basketball team saw a last second triple by Nikki Kassebaum of 16th-ranked Taylor fall and thwart a furious Crusader comeback as TU prevailed 59-58 to close the Taylor Tip-off Classic on Saturday (Nov. 1).
The Crusaders (0-2) saw the Trojans (2-0) jump out to an early eight point lead at 17-9 with just over nine minutes gone in the game on a Tasaha Marshall triple. MU whittled the lead down to one on a pair of Christie Carrico (Waterford, Mich.) free throws with 8:19 showing on the clock and two Katie Mount (Waterford, Mich.) charity tosses gave MU its first lead - at 19-18 - since the game was 3-2 a minute in.

The two sides traded buckets with Taylor's biggest lead being four at 25-21 coming with 4:56 left in the half. An Amanda Reece jumper with 18 ticks left gave the home standing Trojans a 29-26 lead at the half.

Coming out of the intermission the Taylor lead grew to seven with 18 minutes showing on the clock. Madonna cut the lead down to one and took its first lead of the half on an Erin Bentley (Monroe, Mich.) jumper from Tabatha Wydryck (Wyandotte, Mich.) as MU took a 36-35 lead with 16:09 left.

The two teams traded scores over the next 14 minutes as the second half saw seven ties and 11 lead changes. Taylor took a four point lead on two Paige Rudolpf free throws and a Kassebaum jumper before scores by Mount, Wydryck and a Carrico free throw gave MU a 55-54 lead with 2:14 left.

Taylor took the lead back briefly at 56-55 but Mount gave Madonna its final lead when she canned a triple of her own from a Wydryck pass to give MU a 58-56 lead on the No. 16 team in the nation.

That lead was snatched away from the Crusaders when Kassebaum nailed a triple with three seconds left to send the Trojans onto a 59-58 win over Madonna.

Mount led the Crusaders with 17 while Wydryck rebounded from being held scoreless on Friday to chip in with 11 markers. Carrico - who had nine points - was joined on the all-tournament team by Kim Olech (Canton, Mich.) who had six points of her own to go along with 13 rebounds.

The Crusaders will look to put a mark in the win column on Wednesday night when they open the home slate against No. 26 Bethel inside the Activities Center. Tip-off is slated for 7:30pm and all the action can be heard live on MadonnaCrusaders.com
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