Bose basket gives Manchester HCAC title over AU
March 1st, 2008
Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference tournament MVP Sara Bose hit a 15-foot baseline jumper with one second left to give Manchester College a 52-50 victory over Anderson University in the post-season championship game on Saturday at O.C. Lewis Gymnasium.
The final jumper came after the Ravens had rallied from a 17-point second half deficit to tie the game at 50 on a pair of free throws by Mel Hawthorne with 17 seconds left. The free throws capped a 7-0 run by the Ravens - all by Hawthorne - including a bank 3-pointer in the final two minutes.
Hawthorne finished with a game-high 23 points and seven rebounds, hitting 8-of-16 shots and 6-of-7 from the free throw line. She was named to the All-Tournament team.
Leading scorer Kayla Martin was also named to the All-Tournament team. She finished the tournament with 19 points and 12 rebounds.
Ellen Thompson was the only other player in double figures, finishing with 10 points and four rebounds. Mandy Seward added six points, four rebounds, three assists and three steals.
Manchester finished at 37 percent from the field, including 48 percent in the first half when it led 36-21. The Ravens finished at 34 percent shooting, outscoring the Spartans 29-16 in the second half.
AU had a 36-26 advantage on the boards, including 13-7 on the offensive glass. However, Manchester had the edge in assists (9-4), turnovers (9-14), blocks (2-1) and steals (6-4).
The Ravens finished the year at 18-8 overall and 12-4 in the HCAC, winning the regular season title for the first time since 2002.
