Dec. 20, 2008

Final Stats

COZUMEL, Mexico - Junior Melissa Jeltema came just shy of a double-double with 16 points and nine rebounds, senior Jessica Pike notched 15 points and junior Hanna Reising scored 13 as the Oakland University women's basketball team defeated the University of South Carolina Upstate 64-60 in the final game of the first annual Cozumel Cup, taking home the championship trophy.

"This was really good for us because we got to play back-to-back games," said head coach Beckie Francis. "When we go to South Dakota State to play in the Summit League Tournament, we will probably be in a scenario where we will have to play back-to-back days. This is the only time in the year where we will play back-to-back, so I know they get a little tired, but it's just a war. It requires physical and mental toughness and we won the war tonight, which I was proud of."

The first half remained fairly even in the opening minutes until Jeltema's six-point tear in the first five minutes gave OU the momentum to pull away with the lead for the rest of the half. Oakland was ahead by as many as nine, thanks to two quick three-point shots by senior April Kidd and Pike that gave OU a 31-22 advantage with two minutes to go. But the Spartans added four more points before time expired, giving Oakland a 31-26 lead at the half.

The second half began with a 10-4 run by USC Upstate, which brought the contest to a 36-36 tie in the half's opening four minutes. From the there, the margin remained close, until Reising knocked down 10 straight points to give Oakland a 52-45 lead with a little over six minutes to go. From there, the game would remain in Oakland's favor, although the Spartans cut it to two points with 38 ticks on the clock, but Pike hit four straight free throws to seal the 64-60 victory for Oakland.

Kidd turned in a solid performance, with seven points, eight rebounds and five steals. Sophomore Brittany Carnago was also selected to the all-tournament team, as chosen by the Mexican media.

One area in the stats column where Oakland had a stronghold was rebounding. The Golden Grizzlies muscled their way to a 53-35 advantage on the glass.

Oakland has now won their last four games and look to make it five in a row on Sunday, Dec. 28, when they take on Marquette University at the O'Rena. Tip is scheduled for 4 p.m. EST.

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