GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Becky Williford led all scorers with 19 points, and the Roosevelt women's basketball team never trailed in winning its 10th game of the season with a decision over Cornerstone (Mich.), 72-61, in Tuesday's opener of the Davenport (Mich.) Holiday Classic at the DU Student Center.
Becca Bergman connected on a trio of trifectas en route to 13 points, while Paige Gallimore added 12 points and a season-high 11 rebounds in a double-double effort for the Lakers (10-6).
Jesse Sheridan led the Grand Rapids-based Golden Eagles (7-7) with 17 points.
Roosevelt led from the start thanks to layups galore. The Lakers's first four buckets were lay-in points, setting the stage for a plethora of close-range shots that allowed Roosevelt to outscore Cornerstone in the paint by a 38-18 margin.
Defense also fueled the Green and White. Roosevelt held the Golden Eagles to 28 percent shooting in the first half and just 34 percent for the game, and the Lakers held a 12-3 advantage on fast-break points.
Roosevelt broke the game open in the third quarter when the Lakers, nursing a five-point lead, went on a 12-2 run fueled by seven points scored by Bergman to go up 15. The Lakers grew that lead to 20 in the fourth and held off the Golden Eagles' late effort to close the gap.
"I am so proud of our effort today as a team," said Roosevelt head coach
Keisha Newell. "I thought we did some really good things defensively, which led to success on the offensive end.
"I thought we did a good job of responding to Cornerstone's runs," Newell continued. "They knocked down big shots. I couldn't be happier with our toughness and resilience."
The Lakers close out the DU Holiday Classic on Wednesday against host and eighth-ranked Davenport at 4 p.m. Central.
