Rinehart nets career-high, but No. 4 Hope (Mich.) defeats WHoops 89-61

Nov. 17, 2007

By Zach Stipe

HOLLAND, Mich. — Junior Alisha Rinehart exploded for a career-high 29 points, but No. 4-ranked Hope (Mich.) had five players score in double figures to defeat the Ohio Northern women’s basketball team, 89-61, in the final game of the Hope (Mich.) Tip-Off Tournament on Saturday at the DeVos Fieldhouse.

The Polar Bears dropped to 1-1 on the season, while the Flying Dutch improved to 2-0.

Rinehart shot 7-of-16 from the field and 14-of-17 from the free throw line to score her career high.

Rinehart and senior Leah Zimmerman were named to the All-Tournament Team. Zimmerman scored four points against the Flying Dutch, but had 11 points and six rebounds in Friday’s 77-30 win over Rochester (Mich.). Rinehart had 11 points against Rochester.

Also having a great game against Hope was senior Megan Cevasco as she scored nine points, while grabbing a game-high nine boards and dishing out a game-high four assists.

Hope opened the game on a 7-1 run capped by a Jordan Boyles 3-pointer at the 17:24 mark.

ONU pulled to within three points on a pair of free throws by junior Emily Culbertson at 13:57, but the Flying Dutch went on a 10-2 run over the next two minutes to take a 22-11 lead with 12:04 left in the first half.

Later in the first half, Emily O’Hare nailed a pair of jumpers to spark a 10-0 run for Hope, who went up 41-21 five minutes before halftime.

Rinehart had 17 points in the first half, but Hope held a 47-28 lead at the intermission.

Boyles capped a 10-1 run to begin the second half with a pair of free throws that gave the Flying Dutch a 57-29 lead with 15:29 left in the game.

ONU pulled as close as 62-40 on a free throw by Rinehart with 11 minutes remaining in the game, but the Flying Dutch held on for the decisive victory.

Hope shot 53-percent from the floor, while sharing the ball among the entire team. The Flying Dutch had 20 assists and 16 players scored. O’Hare led the way with 14 points.

Northern shot 31-percent for the game and had eight assists.

Oberlin defeated Rochester, 74-58, in Saturday’s earlier game.

Ohio Northern returns to action this Tuesday as it hosts Kenyon at 7 p.m. at the ONU Sports Center in Ada.