The loss drops Bethany to 1-6 on the year and into the consolation game Saturday at 1 p.m. against Methodist College. The Scots improve to 3-1 and will play in the championship game at 3 p.m. against Ohio Dominican University, who defeated Methodist 92-65 in the opener.
During the first half, the teams swapped runs throughout. Alma started with a 12-3 spurt early in the game to build an 18-7 advantage. Place then brought the Bison back with seven points during a 15-2 run that was capped with a lay-up from freshman Mandi Swiger and BC held a 22-20 lead at the 9:01 mark.
The Scots would respond by scoring 12 of the next 14 points and then closed the half with eight consecutive, including a three-pointer by Emily Niemi just before the halftime horn, to send the visitors into the locker room with a 39-29 lead.
In the second half, Place did everything possible to keep BC close. The 5-8 forward, whose previous career-high was 24, tallied 11 consecutive points early in the second half and her lay-up jump-started an 8-2 mini-run that closed the Alma lead to 52-48 with 10:59 to go in the game.
The Bison would never move closer than that again, as the Scots tossed in nine straight points to push their lead back into double figures and BC was never within eight points again. Alma shot 57 percent in the second half and Darcie Philp scored 12 of her team-high 20 in the final stanza.
Place’s career night in scoring, which was complimented by her game-high nine rebounds and three steals, came on 14 of 23 shooting from the floor, which included four three-pointers. Also hitting for double figures was senior Renee Shehady with 11 points and sophomore Lisa Mitchell with 10. Shehady also handed out a game-high six assists.
Joining Philp with more than 10 points on the Alma side was Katey Peacock with 18, Ashley Borcherding and Ashley Matuzak with 11 and Erica Philp with 10.
Alma College vs Bethany College 12/2/05 8 p.m. at Bethany, WV At Bethany, WV ALMA COLLEGE 84, BETHANY COLLEGE 73 ALMA COLLEGE (3-1) Darcie Philp 7-11 6-8 20; Katey Peacock 8-12 1-3 18; Ashley Borcherding 5-10 0-0 11; Ashley Matuzak 3-7 4-4 11; Erica Philp 4-6 2-2 10; Jenny Falkenberg 0-1 5-6 5; Heather Keenan 1-1 2-2 4; Emily Niemi 1-2 0-0 3; Ashley Wojtas 1-1 0-0 2; Kathy Hammerschmidt 0-0 0-0 0; Margaret Powers 0-0 0-0 0; Lauren Graves 0-1 0-0 0; Abigail Way 0-4 0-0 0; Amy Seidl 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 30-56 20-25 84. BETHANY COLLEGE (1-6) Jenny Place 14-23 3-4 35; Renee Shehady 4-10 0-0 11; Lisa Mitchell 4-8 0-0 10; Mandi Swiger 2-3 2-2 6; Renee Brandenburg 2-7 0-0 4; Lindsay Ammirante 1-4 0-0 3; Ashley Mazur 1-2 0-0 2; Caelyn DiSanti 1-4 0-0 2; Michele Hunzinger 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 29-62 5-6 73. Alma College.................. 39 45 - 84 Bethany College............... 29 44 - 73 3-point goals-Alma College 4-10 (Ashley Borcherding 1-3; Katey Peacock 1-1; Emily Niemi 1-1; Ashley Matuzak 1-2; Abigail Way 0-3), Bethany College 10-26 (Jenny Place 4-11; Renee Shehady 3-5; Lisa Mitchell 2-5; Lindsay Ammirante 1-3; Caelyn DiSanti 0-1; Ashley Mazur 0-1). Fouled out--Alma College-None, Bethany College-Caelyn DiSanti. Rebounds-Alma College 29 (Erica Philp 6), Bethany College 32 (Jenny Place 9). Assists-Alma College 14 (Katey Peacock 4), Bethany College 15 (Renee Shehady 6). Total fouls-Alma College 11, Bethany College 18. A-205 First Round of Bethany Holiday Tournament. Alma will play Ohio Dominican at 3 p.m. in the championship game. Bethany will play Methodist at 1 p.m. in consolation. Bethany's Jenny Place scores career-high 35 points in loss.