2005-2006 Basketball - Archived Game Stories
Season wrap up
ANGELS TAKE TITLE, HALL VOTED MOST OUTSTANDING
(02/27/06)
The Meredith basketball team ended the season with a 13-11 record and the Association of Division III Independents Northeast Regional championship after a pair of lopsided victories over the weekend in New London, CT.
The Angels routed Green Mountain College of Vermont, 73-46 on Friday behind 14 points from Nicole Hall and Laurie Mulqueeny. Amira Issa grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds while Mulqueeny added nine. Saturday, they defeated Mitchell College, the host school, 67-47 behind Hall's 19 points. Mulqueeny had 18 with 11 rebounds, while Issa scored 14 and pulled down 18 rebounds.
"Laurie and Amira stepped up big in their final games as seniors," said Meredith coach David Zinn. "Nicole Hall did a good job running the offense and Nicole Miller did a great job defensively in both games."
The Angels held both opponents to less than 30 percent shooting. Hall was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player. Issa and Mulqueeny joined her on the All-Tournament team.
Meredith finished strong after a 1-6 start. Six games were not decided until the last possession and the Angels won two of those.
"I'm proud of the way we finished," said Zinn. "We turned up the heat on defense and started to run more on offense. The players bought into what we were doing and it paid off."
Zinn loses Issa, Miller and Mulqueeny to graduation, but the future is bright.
"It will be hard to replace the seniors, but if the rest of the team commits to improving during the summer, we should be alright. Our free throw percentage has to go up and our turnovers have to go down. I'm looking forward to next season already."
ANGELS END REGULAR SEASON, PREPARE FOR POST-SEASON
(02/22/06)
The basketball Angels finished the regular season with a 65-64 loss to The Apprentice School in Newport News, VA. Tuesday night. They won't have any time to dwell on it however, as they get ready for the Association of Division III Independents Regional Tournament in New London, CT. this weekend.
Meredith (11-11) is the top seed in the four team tournament and will face Green Mountain of Vermont in the first round Friday at 6 p.m. Lincoln (PA) is the second seed and plays the host school, Mitchell College at 8 p.m. Friday. The winners play for the title at 2 p.m. Saturday after the consolation finals at noon.
"It's a great opportunity to play two more games," said Meredith coach David Zinn, whose first team finished 9-14 last season. "It's nice to compete for a tournament title against good competition."
The Angels held a seven point lead with under six minutes to go Tuesday, but couldn't hang on against The Apprentice School (15-10). Seniors Laurie Mulqueeny and Amira Issa posted double-doubles. Issa tied for team scoring honors with 14 points and grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds. Mulqueeny scored 12 points, collected 10 rebounds (eight offensive) and passed out a team high eight assists while playing all 40 minutes.
"We gave a great effort on the road against a good team," said Zinn. We had too many turnovers (29) and not enough free throws (8-14). We had an opportunity to win, but couldn't close it out."
Junior Autumn Metzger had 14 points, including four three pointers and sophomore Nicole Hall added 10 points.
SENIORS GO OUT IN SYTLE
(02/16/06)
Amira Issa, Nicole Miller and Laurie Mulqueeny made their last game in Weatherspoon Gym into a positive memory, but needed almost seven minutes of shutout defense in the second half to make sure.
The three seniors led the Angels to a 64-47 victory over NC Wesleyan that put the team back over the .500 mark at 11-10, but not without a fight.
"Wesleyan is not a bad team at all and I knew they would hang around," said Meredith coach David Zinn. "Our defense really stepped up in the second half."
Meredith led 41-37 with 10:25 to go. They led 55-37 with 3:46 left thanks to a total team effort on the defensive end. Wesleyan (2-20) made only five field goals in the second half, but made the score closer with 12 free throws.
Issa led three Angels in double figures with 14 points and grabbed a team high eight rebounds. Freshman Rachael Metzger finished with 12 points and seven assists while sophomore Nicole Hall had 10 points, six assists and six rebounds.
"I'm really proud of our seniors and Rachael Metzger played outstanding defense," said Zinn. "She shut down the perimeter and found Amira inside with some nice passes."
Meredith has one more regular season game, Tuesday at The Apprentice School in Newport News, VA.
ANGELS SNAG ROAD WIN
(02/09/06)
The basketball Angels returned from Greensboro back at the .500 mark after a 63-55 victory against Bennett.
Meredith led 33-29 at halftime, fell behind by four early in the second half, then rebounded for the eight point win.
"It was a good road win against a team that was ready to play," said Meredith coach David Zinn. "It was good to get balanced scoring and our defense played well in spurts despite the loss of our two post players."
Amira Issa and Lizzie Creech missed the game with injuries. Senior Laurie Mulqueeny led four Angels in double figures with 16 points. Nicole Hall had 15, Autumn Metzger added 11 and freshman Alexis Ridgeway scored 10 for her third straight game in double figures, after missing the first semester with injuries.
"She's given us a scoring lift off the bench," said Zinn. "She is becoming more comfortable with what we need her to do."
Meredith is 9-9 with four regular season games remaining. Next up is a trip to nearby rival Peace College for a 2 p.m. tip off Saturday afternoon.
Angels Fall in Close Battle
(02/03/06)
Sometimes the shots just don't fall. Thursday night was one of those nights, as Meredith lost to Averett University, 50-47 in Weatherspoon Gym.
The Angels led 21-18 at halftime despite shooting 30 percent from the floor. They made 26.5 percent of their shots in the second half while the Cougars shot 42 percent.
"I was very disappointed in our shooting," said Meredith coach David Zinn, whose Angels were 1-20 from behind the three point line. "We are usually much better than that."
Sophomore Nicole Hall took game scoring honors with 16 points. She was the only player on both sides in double figures. Seniors Laurie Mulqueeny and Amira Issa tied for game rebounding honors with nine. Mulqueeny added nine points and four steals.
The Angles are 7-8 and travel to Salem College Saturday. The next home game is Monday against Newport Apprentice at 6 p.m.
Angels Drop Heartbreaker At The Buzzer
Meredith's six game winning streak ended Thursday night as Methodist College rallied in the second half for a 78-77 victory in Fayetteville.
The Angels led 43-27 at halftime, but Methodist (8-7) shot 57 percent from the floor in the second half. They still needed Doris Richards' jumper as time was expiring to escape with the victory.
"We had it defended perfectly," said Meredith coach David Zinn. "We had our two tallest players on her and she managed to shot between their arms. We can't give up 51 points on 57 percent shooting in a half and expect to beat anybody."
Meredith had a chance to go ahead by three points with 13 seconds left, but couldn't convert a pair of free throws. An offensive rebound after the second miss went out of bounds, allowing Methodist a final chance.
Sophomore Nicole Hall led the Angels (7-7) with 26 points and passed out six assists. Junior Autumn Metzger canned five three pointers and finished with 24 points, while senior Nicole Miller added 10.
"Both Nicole's and Autumn played very well offensively," said Zinn. "Laurie Mulqueeny had another solid defensive effort, but as a team, we stopped rebounding and defending in the second half. That will be a point of emphasis as we prepare for Averett."
Meredith is back in action at home against Averett on Thursday, Feb. 2nd at 7 p.m.
ANGELS ROUT PEACE FOR SIXTH STRAIGHT VICTORY
What a difference two weeks make.
Headed into the game against Medgar Evers College in the consolation round of the Villa Julie Classic on January 8th, the Angels were struggling at 1-6. The tan from the Hawaii trip was starting to fade and a long semester loomed.
However, they pulled it together for a 78-43 victory and haven't looked back. Monday's 81-54 win over Peace is the Angels sixth straight, with four coming by 26 or more points. From 1-6 to 7-6, from doormat to dominant.
"We've played very well during this stretch," said Meredith coach David Zinn. "The Peace was our most complete on offense and defense. I'm very pleased and impressed by our team's resiliency with four games in the last six days."
Sophomore Nicole Hall led the Angels first half surge against Peace with 17 of her 21 points. She was 6-9 from the floor with a pair of three pointers as Meredith led 39-27 at the break.
The Pacers (9-5) held Hall to just two buckets in 10 tries in the second half, however junior Autumn Metzger scored 15 of her game high 24 points to extend the lead.
"Autumn really stepped up for us," said Zinn. "Peace adjusted to Nicole, but Autumn hit some big shots to help us stay in front. I also thought Amira Issa played her best all around game in the two years I've been here."
Issa was the third Angel in double figures with 16 points and grabbed a team-high nine rebounds. Senior Laurie Mulqueeny added eight points and eight rebounds. Hall finished with seven rebounds, five assists and three steals to go along with her 21 points.
"It was a great atmosphere," said Zinn. "There was a lot of emotion in the gym and our kids were fired up. Peace is a very good, well-coached, team and it will be a challenge for us over there next month."
Meredith is back in action Thursday at Methodist. The next home game is Feb. 2nd against Averett.
Photos by Laura Marshall:
(click to enlarge)
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| Autumn Metzger shoots a free throw against Peace. She led all scorers with 24 points. | Amira Issa lays it in for two of her 16 points in the Angels 81-54 victory over Peace. |
FIVE STRAIGHT FOR THE ANGELS
(01/20/06)
Freshman Rachael Metzger and sophomore Nicole Hall led four players in double figures with 16 points each as Meredith defeated Spelman College from Atlanta, 86-52 in a wild contest in Weatherspoon Gym.
Spelman was whistled for three technical fouls, head coach LaVon Mercer was ejected and the Angels shot 50 free throws on the way to their fifth straight victory.
"I was very pleased with our composure in the second half," said Meredith coach David Zinn, whose Angels are now 6-6. "It was a physical game and we continued to attack."
Metzger keyed the decisive run with eight points during a 20-5 spurt during an eight minute stretch in the first half. Spelman (5-8) had closed to within two at 16-14, but Metzger drained a three pointer, canned a jumper and hit a layup to put the Angels on top to stay.
"She had a great game off the bench for us," said Zinn. "Elizabeth Turner and Alexis Ridgeway also came in and played well in the first half when we needed them."
Junior Autumn Metzger and senior Laurie Mulqueeny added 11 points each, while senior Amira Issa and freshman Lizzie Creech grabbed eight rebounds. The Angels were 33-50 from the free throw line and shot 43 percent from the floor while holding Spelman to 24 percent.
"We've been executing our offense better lately," said Zinn. "It should give us some momentum going into Monday's game."
Meredith hosts Peace at 7 p.m.
ANGELS ON A ROLL, CAPTURE ROAD VICTORY
(01/20/06)
Sophomore Nicole Hall led three players in double figures with 20 points as Meredith won its fourth straight game, 69-66, against Averett University Thursday night in Danville, VA.
"It was a very hard-fought game and a great win for us," said Meredith Coach David Zinn, whose squad raised its record to 5-6. "It was a gutsy performance on our part in the second half."
Meredith was playing its second game in as many nights after a 79-70 win over Bennett at home on Thursday.
Junior Autumn Metzger added 17 points, while senior center Amira Issa scored 11 points and grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds, 10 in the second half.
"I thought Amira put us on her back for a while in the second half," said Zinn. "She worked very hard on the boards and Autumn did a nice job offensively.
The Angels erased a five point deficit early in the second half, but didn't take the lead for good until the final five minutes. Hall started a 7-0 run with a jumper then followed with a pair of free throws. Nicole Miller's three-pointer at the 3:43 mark gave the Angels a 67-60 advantage.
Hall finished with eight steals, seven assists and six rebounds to go along with her game high scoring totals.
"She did a great job of running our offense and finding the open shooter," said Zinn. "Eight steals says she played good defense also."
Meredith won't have much time to savor the victory as Spelman College from Atlanta visits Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. followed by the Peace home game Monday at 7 p.m.
ANGELS MAKE IT THREE IN A ROW
Sophomore guard Nicole Hall led four players in double figures as Meredith defeated Bennett 79-70 Thursday night in Weatherspoon Gym.
The Angels (4-6) picked up their third straight win and get right back to the court tonight in Danville, VA against Averett University.
"We've grown a lot in the last two weeks," said Coach David Zinn. "We need to continue to improve, but we are getting better every game."
Meredith jumped out to a 35-22 halftime lead thanks in large part to sophomore guard Elizabeth Turner, who nailed four three pointers and finished with 14 points.
"She gave us a great spark off the bench," said Zinn. "Nicole Hall did a great job of running our offense and found her several times."
Hall finished with 11 assists, eight in the first half for a double-double. Senior Laurie Mulqueeny scored 13 points and grabbed eight rebounds while freshman Rachael Metzger finished with 12 points. Senior Amira Issa grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds and added nine points.
ANGLES EARN WEEKEND SPLIT
Meredith jumped out to an 18-2 lead against Medgar Evers College and never looked back on the way to a 78-43 victory in the Villa Julie College Classic in Baltimore on Sunday afternoon.
The Angels upped the advantage to 48-15 and were never threatened in the second half. Senior guard Nicole Miller led three players in double figures with 16 points. Junior Autumn Metzger had 13 and sophomore Nicole Hall added 12. Senior Amira Issa grabbed 15 rebounds, nine in the second half.
Meredith fell to Waynesburg College, 67-55 in the first game Saturday. The Angels held a 46-42 lead with 10 minutes left, but couldn't hang on. Hall led the way with 21 points, while Metzger scored 12 and Issa added 10. Senior guard Laurie Mulqueeny snagged 15 rebounds.
"I thought we showed improvement coming back from the holiday break," said Coach David Zinn. "Laurie and Amira did a nice job on the boards and our defense was better after a week of working on it. We are looking forward to the second semester."
The Angels, 2-6, host Wilson College on Saturday at 3 p.m. and Bennett on Wednesday, Jan. 18th at 7 p.m.
Angels Fall Twice in Hawaii Despite Metzger's Hot Shooting
Junior guard Autumn Metzger broke out of her early season shooting slump with 37 points, but Meredith lost both games in the Hoop and Surf Classic in Honolulu.
19th ranked Mary Washington prevailed 75-48 on Dec. 18th. Sophomore guard Nicole Hall led the Angels with 22 points while Metzger hit 6-11 shots from the field for 14 points.
That was just a warmup for the next day as Metzger drained seven of eight three point tries for 23 points in the Angels 76-73 loss to Pacific College of Oregon. Hall chipped in 17 points while senior center Amira Issa had 10 points and 10 rebounds for her second double-double this season.
Metzger was 13-21 from the floor for the tournament after opening the season 14-44 with 32 points in four games.
Meredith (1-5) resumes play January 7th & 8th in the Villa Julie Classic in Baltimore. The Angels next home game is Jan. 14th at 3 p.m. against Wilson College.
Angels Drop Home Opener
A frenetic second half comeback fell just short, then Methodist pulled away down the stretch for a 79-55 victory that spoiled the Angles home opener Wednesday night in Weatherspoon Gym.
Meredith trailed 41-26 at the half, but a three pointer from senior Nicole Miller made it 55-50 with 9:58 to play. However, Methodist relied on solid free throw shooting and freshman Ann Forsberg's deadly outside marksmanship to outscore the Angels 24-5 the rest of the way.
"I was proud of the way we came back in the second half, but Methodist found the answers when they needed them," said Meredith coach David Zinn.
Forsberg went 8-8 from the floor, made all three of her three point attempts and hit both foul shots for a game high 21 points. Methodist hit 19 of 24 free throws while the Angels were 5-6.
Sophomore guard Nicole Hall led Meredith with 14 points and eight assists while senior Amira Issa added 10 points.
"We showed good character during the comeback," said Zinn. "We just dug too big of a hole for ourselves in the first half."
Meredith is 1-3 while Methodist is 3-3. The Angels head to Hawaii to meet Mary Washington College and Pacific (OR) College in the Hoop & Surf Classic December 18th and 19th.
Angels Hold Off Bishops For First Victory
Sophomore guard Nicole Hall led three players in double figures as Meredith survived a second half comeback for a 68-61 victory over North Carolina Wesleyan Monday night in Rocky Mount.
Meredith's first victory this season came courtesy of two points of emphasis in recent practices-free throws and defense.
"The players put in the extra effort over the summer shooting free throws and we've tried to simulate late game pressure situations in practice," said Coach David Zinn. "We've also worked extra hard on our defense after the first two games. I think the work paid off in those areas last night."
Meredith saw a 15 point second half lead shrink to just one amid a flurry of Wesleyan three point shots, but Hall, senior Amira Issa and sophomore Whitney Collins hit seven of eight free throws in the final minute to preserve the win.
"This was a true team win," said Zinn. "Everybody gave us something in the second half. We defended very well in spurts and Amira rebounded very well in the second half."
Issa finished with a double-double, 11 points and 10 rebounds. Senior guard Laurie Mulqueeny scored 16 points, grabbed eight rebounds, hit all five of her free throws and passed out four assists before injuring her ankle in the final five minutes.
"Lauire was our player of the game," said Zinn. "She hustled, played great defense and scored before she turned her ankle."
The Angels open the home season Wednesday against Methodist at 7 p.m. in Weatherspoon Gym.
Hall Makes All Tournament, Angels Fall Twice In Virginia
Sophomore guard Nicole Hall was named to the five player Eastern Mennonite Loyal Royals All Tournament team after scoring 44 points in the Angels losses to Averett and Ferrum to open the season.
Meredith fell behind Averett early in the season-opener and fell 71-61. Hall led the way with 19 points, while senior center Amira Issa scored 11 and grabbed eight rebounds. Senior co-captain Laurie Mulqueeny chipped in nine points and pulled down a team-high nine rebounds.
"We showed some good things in spurts," said Meredith Coach David Zinn. "We made huge improvement from the first game to the second one."
Ferrum defeated the Angels 78-69 on Saturday to take the tournament's consolation title. Meredith trailed 32-25 at halftime, then put 44 points on the board in the second half. However, the Angels defense allowed 46.
"We made a nice comeback then couldn't finish," said Zinn. "We ran our offense pretty well for the first two games, but we have some work to do on defense."
Hall went 10-16 from the field and led three Angels in double figures with 25 points. Junior Autumn Metzger scored 15 points and led the team with eight rebounds. Mulqueeny had 12 points and finished the tournament 9-12 from the floor, 3-4 from the free throw line and with 14 rebounds.
"She made a lot of hustle plays for us," said Zinn. "She shot well and I was pleased with her all-round play."
Meredith is back in action Nov. 28th at North Carolina Wesleyan with the home opener Nov.30th at 7 p.m. vs. Methodist.
Angels Ready to Rebound
This year's equation for success is straightforward-more experience + more depth = more victories. The theory will be put to the test soon as David Zinn prepares to open his second season as the Angels head coach.
"Everybody's more comfortable with the goals we need to accomplish," said Zinn, whose team was 9-14 last season. "The commitment to our off-season workout program was a lot better. Hopefully, it will pay off in more wins."
Meredith returns four starters and two reserves from last season, four freshmen and one player from injury.
"Autumn Metzger will give us a big lift," said Zinn. Metzger, a junior, hurt her knee right before the season started and did not play. "Her defense, leadership and scoring ability will give us several options that we did not have last year."
Senior co-captains Nicole Miller and Laurie Mulqueeny return in the backcourt along with senior post player Amira Issa.
"Nicole and Laurie are more mature in the leadership role this season," said Zinn, who had no seniors last year. "Those two and Amira have given us good direction in practice and are more comfortable with what I want them to do."
Sophomores Whitney Collins, Nicole Hall and Elizabeth Turner also return. Collins moved into the starting lineup at center/forward for the second half of last season, while Hall was selected to the All-Independent first team after leading the team in scoring, assists and steals. Turner contributed three-point shooting off the bench.
"All three have improved since last year," said Zinn. "Whitney has added some muscle which will help her grab more rebounds, Nicole's shot is better and Elizabeth has been shooting it very well in practice."
Hall won't have to be the Angels primary scoring threat this season with improvement from those mentioned above along with the addition of four freshmen.
"Rachael Metzger and Alexis Ridgeway should score for us," said Zinn. "Rachael has a chance to start in the backcourt, while Alexis will help us up front. Lizzie Creech and Keyotta Sanford have shown some good things in practice. They should help us defensively and can score if we need it."
A mid-December trip to Hawaii for the Hoop & Surf Classic highlights the 21 game schedule.
"The girls worked hard to raise the money to go, but it's a business trip first," said Zinn. "We play two tough teams (Mary Washington and Pacific (OR) College), then we'll have a couple of days to see the sights and enjoy ourselves."
Zinn plans on enjoying the season from the opener November 18th against Averett in the Eastern Mennonite Invitational all the way to the end against Newport News Apprentice on February 21st.
"We have more depth, which gives us more options, and more experience than we had last year", he said. "If everyone stays healthy, we should be alright."
Important: For Fans/Parents/Boosters - Hoop N Surf Basketball Classic (Dec. 18-19, 2005.)
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