Defense propels team to winning record

Roosevelt University sophomore Casey Davis has stolen the show whenever the Lakers women's basketball team has hit the floor has season.

On a potent offensive team, which currently ranks ninth nationally in NAIA Division I scoring with nearly 78 points a game, Davis is averaging 17.2 per outing. In the Lakers' first five contests this January, the sophomore has poured in more than 20 points three times, including a school record 33 against Trinity International University last Monday.

Davis, however, isn't the only significant piece to this impressive puzzle put together by head coach Robyn Scherr-Wells. The scoring record she broke, in fact, was set just 10 days prior by senior Peggie Parhas. She scored 31 against a demoralized Stephens College in a 110-44 victory – the first 100-point game in the brief history of Lakers women's basketball.

In this latest record-setting contest, the Lakers overcame a sloppy first half that was plagued with turnovers by forcing Trinity International into a slew of mistakes of their own. Head coach Summer Fine was visibly angry early into the second half, as the Lakers' staunch zone defense became too much to handle.

Three nights later in a road win against Holy Cross College, five Lakers scored in double figures. Senior Alexia Tann scored 10, Parhas put up 11 and Davis led the way with 26. Sophomores Maria Tamburrino and Kiara Towles had 12 and 13 respectively. Towles had a double-double, grabbing 15 rebounds, while Tamburrino came close to doing the same by adding nine rebounds to her stat line.

Despite sitting at 0-2 in Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference play this season, the Lakers have an overall record of 12-9. They placed third in the Saint Xavier Holiday Tournament, beating the University of Saint Francis and, for a second time, Saint Ambrose University. Before their first meeting, Saint Ambrose was ranked 10th in the NAIA – the Lakers' first of two wins against nationally ranked opponents.

They hope to continue their winning ways this week when they play Indiana University-South Bend at home. Tipoff will be at 5 p.m. Wednesday at Attack Athletics.

With a young and talented core that is already making waves nationally, Scherr-Wells and her Lakers squad will not only be a handful for their eight remaining opponents.