GEORGETOWN, Texas – One-by-one, the Southwestern University Pirates women's basketball seniors exited the court to a standing ovation at the Robertson Center in a stream of staggered substitutions, defeating the Johnson & Wales University Wildcats 73-54 for one final home victory.
Cecily Woolfolk, the final senior to leave the game, got the loudest ovation after dominating inside by scoring 25 points on 10-for-16 shooting with two blocks and three rebounds.
Naomi Brown exited a little before, scoring seven points on four shots, including a beautifully executed spot-up 3-pointer, and grabbing four rebounds with three steals and two assists.
Zhazze Brown filled in the gaps in the box score, scoring only two points but grabbing five rebounds and dishing out three assists with one steal. Evelyn Escuadra, getting her first start of the season, scored five points and grabbed seven rebounds and dishing out two assists.
The Pirates seized control of the game early, jumping out to a 25-9 lead in the first quarter, and kept the defensive pressure flowing, forcing 20 turnovers and generating 14 steals.
Junior Noel Pratts set the tone with 10 points in the first quarter, scoring six off three steals that turned into breakaway layups.
Pratts was a one-woman full-court press, hounding multiple Wildcat ball handlers in the backcourt like a lioness stalking her prey, getting low in a crouched stance and pouncing at the most opportune moment.
With quick feet, long arms, and faster hands, Pratts would poke the ball free in a split second, often leaving her opponent continuing their drive for a step or two before realizing the ball was already headed the other way.
Reserve forward Taylor Carney provided a different type of defense; extending her arms to eclipse her smaller opponents' passing lanes. Carney deflected multiple passes at the point of attack, seemingly snatching the ball the moment it left Wildcat hands for three steals before the break.
Southwestern forced 15 turnovers in the first half, 12 of which were steals, leading to 10 fast break points.
When the game settled into the half court, Southwestern turned to Cecily Woolfolk, throwing lobs over the smaller Wildcats while Woolfolk sealed her defender for easy layups; scoring 18 points in the first half on 8-for-11 shooting.
Seniors Brown and Escuadra led the Pirates in the third quarter, scoring five each on a combined 3-for-4 shooting, including Brown's 3-pointer, to outscore JWU 20-9 in the quarter to take a 66-33 lead heading into the fourth.
The Wildcats closed the gap some with a barrage of late 3-pointers in the fourth, where they shot 4-for-5, but never truly challenged as Southwestern Head Coach Greta Grothe gave each senior one last moment in the spotlight, hugging each as they left the game.
Southwestern outscored JWU 26-9 in points off turnovers, including a 12-0 advantage in fastbreak points. The Pirate bench also outscored their counterparts 19-0.
With the win, Southwestern wraps up their season with a 10-15 record, including 8-10 in conference play. The Pirates will open Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) Tournament play on Friday, Feb. 28 in Kerrville, Texas.
