Mountaineers improve shooting in win over Cheyney -- Tagliaferri Scores Game High 20 Points, Jess Uhrich Records Double-Double

MANSFIELD – Alison Tagliaferri scored a game high 20 and Jessica Uhrich added a double-double to lift Mansfield to a 79-67 win Cheyney in a PSAC East contest Saturday at Decker Gym.

“It felt good to win and I was particularly pleased that we shot the ball better than we had in the past four games,” said head coach Ruth Hermansen.

The Mountaineers shot 45.8 percent from the floor and hit 20 of their 24 free throws, including 18 of 21 in the first half. The Wolves also took 21 free throws in the opening period, but only hit nine of them.

In addition, Tagliaferri pulled down nine rebounds against Cheyney to give her 799 in her career. Only two other players – Deb Schneider (1983-1986) and Michele Jeffrey (1994-1997) – have eclipsed the 800 milestone. Tagliaferri also had a game-high 20 points, including eight on free throws.

Four Mountaineers ended the game in double figures. In addition to Tagliaferri, Uhrich scored 14 while pulling down 11 rebounds. Freshman Emily Akins’s 11 points is a season high for her. Fellow freshmen Courtney Brooks (ten points) and Mallory Hafer (nine points) tied their season highs.

The Mountaineers took the early lead and never relinquished it. Jessica Uhrich, who recorded a double-double on the afternoon, broke a 4-4 tie at the 16:54 mark on two free throws and the Mounties never looked back.

Mansfield broke the game open with a 10-1 run, sparked by Brooks’s three-pointer at the 10:24 mark of the first half. The Mountaineers continued their strong play throughout the first half, going up as much as 16 with eight seconds to go. Cheyney, however, got the last shot of the half on a buzzer-beating three-point shot by Martina Randall.

Tagliaferri and Akins were the stars of the first ten minutes of the second half as they accounted for all of Mansfield’s points during that stretch. Hafer recorded all of her season-high nine points during those minutes as she hit three three-point shots. Tagliaferri hit the Mountaineers’ other 11 points during that stretch.

The Mountaineers did not allow Cheyney to close within more than nine points in the second half. Martina Randall led Cheyney with 19 points while Shanel Turner added 13.

The Mountaineers’ 79 point tally was the most since opening with a 91-74 win over Columbia Union College Nov. 19. Mansfield finishes out the first half of conference play tied for third place in the PSAC East with Millersville and East Stroudsburg at 3-3. Kutztown leads the East with a 5-1 mark followed by West Chester at 4-2.

“The most important thing,” Hermansen said, “is that we are 3-3 in the conference.”

The Mountaineers travel to Millersville for a Wednesday night game.

Newspaper Box Score

Cheyney University vs Mansfield University

2/4/06 1:00 pm at Decker Gymnasium

At Decker Gymnasium

MANSFIELD UNIVERSITY 79, CHEYNEY UNIVERSITY 67

CHEYNEY UNIVERSITY (4-17 (1-5)

RANDALL, Martina 7-22 2-2 19; TURNER, Shanel 6-10 1-2 13; UTTI, Ngozi 3-6 3-9 9; WEBB, Darah 3-11 1-3 7; O'Donnell, Ashley 1-4 4-5 6; RUFFIN, Maria 2-5 2-2 6; JONES, Sade 1-5 1-2 3; FRAZIER, Tammy 0-1 2-3 2; MCPHERSON, Carla 1-4 0-2 2. Totals 24-68 16-30 67.

MANSFIELD UNIVERSITY (8-13 (3-3)

TAGLIAFERRI, Alison 6-10 8-9 20; UHRICH, Jessica 4-11 5-6 14; AKINS, Emily 5-5 1-2 11; BROOKS, Courtney 3-9 3-3 10; HAFER, Mallory 3-10 0-0 9; TAYLOR, Tiffany 2-3 2-2 6; ROSS, Christine 2-4 1-2 5; CORRELL, Clarissa 1-1 0-0 2; EASTMAN, Kelli 1-3 0-0 2; DAY, Breanne 0-1 0-0 0; AKINS, Katie 0-1 0-0 0; REED, Brittany 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 27-59 20-24 79.

Cheyney University............   27   40  -   67

Mansfield University..........   40   39  -   79

3-point goals-Cheyney University 3-9 (RANDALL, Martina 3-5; WEBB, Darah 0-2; JONES, Sade 0-2), Mansfield University 5-15 (HAFER, Mallory 3-9; UHRICH, Jessica 1-1; BROOKS, Courtney 1-4; TAYLOR, Tiffany 0-1). Fouled out—Cheyney University-None, Mansfield University-None. Rebounds-Cheyney University 48 (UTTI, Ngozi 12), Mansfield University 39 (UHRICH, Jessica 11). Assists-Cheyney University 7 (WEBB, Darah 4), Mansfield University 20 (TAYLOR, Tiffany 5). Total fouls-Cheyney University 17, Mansfield University 23.

A-303