Women's Basketball Falls in Tip-Off Tournament Championship Game

ERIE, Pa. – John Carroll women's basketball team had four players in double figures and shot 51.6 percent from the floor to defeat Penn State Behrend 73-40 in the championship game of the Creative Imprints Tip-Off Tournament on Saturday afternoon.

Beth Switzler led all scorers with 17 points to be named to the All-Tournament Team and Melissa Spahar tallied 12 points to go with her 28 points from the semifinals to earn MVP honors for the Blue Streaks (2-0).

Natalie Corso (Moon Township, PA/Moon) and Brianna Bayly (Imperial, PA/West Allegheny) were also named to the All-Tournament Team for the Lions (1-1). Corso finished with a team-high 10 points, behind three triples.

John Carroll jumped out to a 40-22 halftime lead and never looked back to open the season with two straight wins and a championship.

Hannah Novotny (Cabot, PA/Knoch) knocked down a pair of jumpers and Bayly drained a triple to start the scoring for Behrend, but the Blue Streaks managed to hold the Lions to just seven points in the first 11 minutes of the game for a double-digit lead at 24-7.

Behrend responded with a run of its own and cut the lead to 27-18 with a 9-2 spurt over the next three minutes.

John Carroll managed to pull away again late in the first half for a 40-22 lead at the break.

The Lions could not bounce back from the early deficit. The Blue Streaks outscored Behrend 33-18 in the second half, getting nine points from Kaitlyn Spahar, who ended with 16 points.

Sarah Schweitzer (Bridgeville, PA/South Fayette) and Novotny each added six points for the Lions.

Behrend returns to action on Tuesday at Thiel. Game time is 6 p.m.