Hannah Schaible scored 23 points and ripped 16 rebounds as Women’s Basketball defeated China’s third-ranked team, Jinling, 61-48. Ionna McKenzie had a monster game on the boards, ripping down 19 rebounds to go with eight points, and Sydnei McCaskill added ten points, eight assists and four rebounds.
DP (10-0) controlled the tempo from the opening tip, building a 15-5 lead on the back of an 8-0 run highlighted by back-to-back threes by Schaible and McCaskill. After a Jinling timeout, Ionna McKenzie hit a pair of free throws and buried a short basket for a 19-12 lead. That lead extended to nine points, 28-19, when Sydnei McCaskill picked up a steal and took to it to the rim, forcing Jinling to call timeout again at the 5:32 mark. Jinling would go on an 8-0 run out of the break on the strength of three point shooting but DP held on to take a 30-29 lead into halftime.
In the third quarter, DP gained control of the game, outscoring Jinling, 19-7. Trailing for the first time all game, 31-30, a free throw by Schaible and a rebound and basket by Stephanie Ratliff pushed the Panthers back on top, 33-31 and they would steadily pull away. A breakaway layup by Schaible, plus a steal and layup by Jade Cheek, pushed the lead to six, 37-31. DP went for the jugular when a three by Schaible, a beautiful underhanded layup by McCaskill and a three from Kyla Allison pushed the lead to 47-36. As the fourth quarter began with a 49-36 lead, Hannah Schaible torched Jinling with eight consecutive points to give the Panthers as an insurmountable lead, 59-43, before the final whistle. Rounding out the scoring, Jade Cheek finished with seven points, Stephanie Ratliff totaled four points and four rebounds, Kyla Allison registered five points and I’munique Green tallied four rebounds and two points.
DP will now advance to the tournament semifinal tonight at 8:00 (Hawaiian Time), 1:00 am eastern time, against the host school, Iolani.
