Feb. 26, 2005

UM beats boards, Spring Hill

Sunday, Feb. 27, 2005
By TOMMY HICKS
Sports Reporter - Mobile Register

MOBILE, Ala. -- Spring Hill College pushed the University of Mobile to the limit Saturday at the Outlaw Recreation Center from start to finish, but the Lady Rams rebounded in the final minutes to claim a 58-53 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference victory.

Fact is, Mobile rebounded all night long, collecting a whopping 69, including 31 on offense. The domination around the basket proved vital for the Lady Rams in the final minutes.

" Sixty-nine rebounds. That might be a school record," Mobile coach Martha Gore-Algernon said. "That was big for us. It was a dogfight, just like we thought it would be. When our backs were against the wall with five minutes left, our ladies came out fighting."

Spring Hill took a 12-9 lead early, but the Lady Rams produced 10 unanswered points to grab a 19-12 advantage. The Lady Badgers bounced back, taking a 24-22 lead. The game was tied 24-all at halftime.
Mobile had already collected 33 rebounds at the half, 14 on offense.

The second half found Spring Hill grabbing the lead again, this time at 45-40 with 4:41 remaining. After a missed shot that would have given the Lady Badgers a seven-point lead, Mobile made a run of its own, tying the game at 45-45 in just 41 seconds of play and taking the lead, 47-45, on a putback by Kinga Rybarczyk at the 3:01 mark.

Spring Hill tied it at 47-all, but a Rheonda Leary free throw moments later put Mobile ahead for good with 2:29 to play.

Mobile (23-7 overall, 14-4 GCAC) was led by its post duo of Crystal Coston and Rybarczyk. Coston scored 22 points and grabbed 17 rebounds, while Rybarczyk had 15 points and 19 rebounds.
Maria Rodriguez led Spring Hill (19-12, 10-8) with 20 points and seven rebounds.

" They made stickbacks and we didn't," Spring Hill coach Terry Fowler said. "And if you win a game where you give up 31 offensive rebounds, you're very lucky. Those 31 offensive rebounds were the key."

Both teams now head to the GCAC tournament that begins Tuesday in New Orleans. Tournament matchups and game times will be announced today.

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