Case tops JCU

At least for this season, Case Western Reserve owns the Division III women’s basketball bragging rights on Cleveland’s near-East Side.

They earned them Nov. 18 with an impressive 80-64 victory over host John Carroll at DeCarlo Varsity Center.

Junior guard Hillary Hellman finished with game-high totals of 21 points and 12 rebounds for the visiting Spartans (1-1), who broke away from an early 4-4 deadlock and never were seriously threatened by the Blue Streaks.

“This is always a fun game,” Hellman said. “It’s a nice Cleveland rivalry. A lot of fans and family members turn out to watch.”

CWRU got 13 points apiece from freshman guard Emily Todd and sophomore guard Kendall McConico.

The Spartans shot 42.6 percent overall and 40.7 percent from 3-point range.

Freshman forward Nicole Heffington scored a team-high 12 points for the Blue Streaks (1-1). The Mentor product also grabbed nine rebounds.

Junior forwards Chelbi Graham and Bri Pittenger each added eight points. The Blue Streaks shot 36.1 percent overall and cashed in only four of 18 3-point attempts.

“We got some good shots out of the offense, but they weren’t falling,” JCU coach Kelly Morrone said. “When the other team is making their shots, that’s hard to overcome.”

Although their campuses are separated by a mere five miles, membership in different conferences means these teams play each other only once each season and always in the early going.

JCU is in the Ohio Athletic Conference, CWRU in the United Athletic Association.