Fighting Scots Fall to West Liberty State Women for Second Time, 73-63
Calderone Earns Spot on Edinboro Classic All-Tournament Team with 32 Points
December 30, 2006

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EDINBORO, PA – Kelly Calderone matched her career high with 32 points, but it wasn’t enough to stop Edinboro from losing both games in its own Edinboro Classic for the second year in a row. After suffering a 62-57 loss to seventh-ranked Glenville State on Friday, the Fighting Scots were a 73-63 loser to West Liberty State on Saturday afternoon.

The loss dropped Edinboro to 6-5 entering the New Year, while West Liberty improved to 6-2. In the other second round contest, Glenville State defeated Ashland, 70-62. Glenville State’s Casey Taylor was named the tournament MVP. She was joined on the All-Tournament team by teammate Rachel Redick, last year’s MVP, Calderone, Ashland’s Amber Rall, and Lena Kalvans of West Liberty.

For the second straight year Edinboro faced Glenville State and West Liberty State, a pair of WVIAC powerhouses, in the tournament, which features predetermined pairings. Head coach Stan Swank can only hope his Fighting Scots can duplicate last year’s showing afterwards. Edinboro went on to reach the NCAA Playoffs.

Edinboro and West Liberty met for the second time in December, previously squaring off in the first round of Gannon’s Avalon Classic. The Hilltoppers prevailed, 86-84, after trailing by double figures in the first half.

The script was much the same on Saturday. Edinboro led the entire first half, building as much as a 12-point lead at 27-15 with 6:47 to play in the half. West Liberty went on a 13-2 run to close the gap to one point before Edinboro claimed a 35-33 at intermission. Calderone accounted for 22 of Edinboro’s 35 points, making 8 of 12 field goals and 4 of 4 free throws.

West Liberty clamped down on the senior guard in the second half, in the process grabbing the lead for good. Calderone did not score her first points of the second half until eleven-and-a-half had gone by. Her jumper pulled the Fighting Scots to within a point at 52-51, and when Rachel Johnson scored on a layup with 7:04 to play, Edinboro regained the lead at 53-52.

With the score tied at 59-59, the Hilltoppers went on a 7-0 run over the next two-and-a-half minutes to put the game away.

Edinboro ended the day shooting 38.5 percent from the floor, while West Liberty used a 50.0 percent performance in the second half to finish at 46.3 percent. The Hilltoppers also made good use of the free throw line over the final twenty minutes, making 12 of 19 free throws while the Fighting Scots were just 2 of 4. For the day Edinboro was 10 of 12, and West Liberty 17 of 24.

While scoring 32 points for the third time in her career, Calderone made 13 of 23 field goals, including 2 of 4 free throws, and was 4 of 4 from the line. West Liberty was able to contain Edinboro’s second and third-leading scorers, however, as Samantha Reimer and Rae Sherred were held to just seven points, all by Reimer. The duo came in averaging 25 ppg. between them.

Kelsey Conklin and Johnson both posted double-doubles. Conklin, a 6’1” freshman, finished with 12 points and 11 rebounds, while Johnson, a 5’11” senior, had her first career double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds.

Edinboro returns to action on Saturday, January 6, playing at Cheyney.