McMurry Wins Guilford Tip-Off Women's Basketball Tournament
Greensboro, N.C. (11/18/06) -- Tournament Most Valuable Player Tarra Richardson totalled 25 points and nine rebounds in McMurry's 78-44 victory over Guilford in Saturday's championship game of the Guilford Tip-Off Tournament. Oneonta State defeated Bennett, 82-48, in the tourney's consolation game earlier Saturday.
McMurry (2-0) raced to a 10-0 lead and led 44-18 at halftime behind Richardson's 15 first-half points. McMurry's pressure defense limited the Quakers (1-1) to 22 percent field-goal shooting and forced 13 turnovers in the first half. McMurry substituted liberally throughout the game and had nine students score at least four points.
McMurry enjoyed a 56-24 advantage in rebounds, including 20 offensive boards that led to 23 second-chance points. Richardson, a junior center, used her size and speed to snare nine rebounds, four off the offensive glass Sophomore wing Amber Horton, who scored eight points, grabbed six of her eight boards at the offensive end. Senior point guard Symbi Tuttle (7 points, 5 assists) and junior wing Maigen Sawyer (8 points, 5 rebounds, 3 steals) joined Richardson on the all-tournament team.
Sophomore forward Tracey Croner's 11 points off the bench paced Guilford's scoring. The Quakers shot just under 30 percent from the floor and made five-of-20 three-pointers less than 24 hours after making a school-record 13 trifectas. Guilford rookie Ann Seufer, who scored 28 points in Friday's opening-round win over Bennett, represented the Quakers on the all-tournament team.
All 14 students scored for Oneonta State (1-1) in its consolation-game win. The Red Dragons scored the game's first 12 points and did not allow a Bennett field goal until the 9:48 mark of the opening half. Sophomore forward Shannon Weir scored all 10 of her points in the first half as Oneonta State enjoyed a 51-18 halftime lead. Teammate Christi Podgorski led all scorers with 15 points and grabbed eight rebounds. She earned all-tournament recognition according to a vote of the tournament's head coaches and official scorer.
Senior Meneka Epps scored 11 points off the bench for Bennett (0-2). The Belles' Jessica Harrison added seven points and a game-high nine rebounds.
2006 Guilford College Tip-Off Tournament
Saturday, Nov. 18
Championship Game - McMurry 78, Guilford 44
Consolation Game - Oneonta State 82, Bennett 48
Friday, Nov. 17
McMurry 80, Oneonta State 62
Guilford 98, Bennett 50
All-Tournament Team
Tarra Richardson, McMurry (MVP)
Symbi Tuttle, McMurry
Maigen Sawyer, McMurry
Ann Seufer, Guilford
Christi Podgorski, Oneonta State