March 3, 2005

Coston, Rybarczyk lead Rams to GCAC Tournament Championship Game

NEW ORLEANS, La. -- Crystal Coston again led her Rams’ teammates by scoring 27 points and grabbing 16 rebounds in an 82-73 win over Loyola University Wednesday afternoon in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Tournament semi-finals. The Rams (25-7) now advance to the championship game against either Dillard University or Xavier University on Saturday, March 5 at 12:30 p.m.

Trailing by five points at the break, Loyola took control of the game and went ahead by four points at 63-59 nearly eight minutes into the second half on a Joelle Bordelon jump shot at the 12:19 mark of the second half. After Mobile cut the lead to two points on a jumper of their own by Rheonda Leary, the Lady Wolfpack got a three-pointer from Kiely Schork to stretch their lead to 66-61 with 9:33 remaining in the game.

However, from that point on, it was all Rams. Kinga Rybarczyk led a Rams 13-2 run by scoring 10 points increasing the Rams’ lead to six at 74-68 with 5:17 to play. After a Loyola free throw cut the lead to five at 74-69, Rybarczyk connected again on another field goal stretching the Mobile lead to seven points, their largest lead of the second half.

Rybarczyk finished the game with 18 points, 14 of which came in the second half.

In the first half it was the inspired play of Courtney Craft that helped to keep the Rams in the game. Craft scored 10 points on a 4-of-4 shooting from the field, including 2-of-2 from beyond the arc. Craft did not score in the second half.

The Rams shot 60.7 percent from the floor in the game and 40 percent from the three-point line. Loyola, who needed a three-pointer to lift them to victory in overtime on Tuesday against Spring Hill College, made just 6-of-31 three point shots against the Rams.

Mobile will now await the winner of tonight’s 6 p.m. match-up between Dillard University and Xavier University. The championship game will be played at Fogleman Arena on the Tulane University campus, Saturday, March 5 at 12:30 p.m. in New Orleans, Louisiana.

-30-