Bruen Leads UMW to Second Tip Off Championship
SWARTHMORE , PA - Mary Washington's Debbie Bruen ( Centreville, VA / Paul VI) scored 17 points to lead the Eagles (2-0) to a second Swarthmore Tip Off championship, defeating Washington & Lee ( Va.) 60-53 on Sunday afternoon in Tarble Pavilion. Bruen, a junior forward, earned her second consecutive Swarthmore Tip Off Most Valuable Player award.
Mary Washington is the first team in the eight-year history of the Swarthmore Tip Off to repeat as champions. Bruen is the first player to earn two M.V.P. awards.
Bruen tallied nine first-half points and Mary Washington forced 18 W&L turnovers to take a 30-21 lead at the intermission. The Eagles lead got as big as 47-26 with 10:43 remaining in the second half, but the Generals (1-1) fought back with a 19-4 run over the next six minutes to cut the lead to 50-46. The Eagles scored the next three baskets to push the lead back to ten, clinching their second win of the young season.
Mary Washington's freshman center Ashton Mitchell ( Prince George, VA / Prince George), an All-Tournament selection, scored 12 points on six for nine shooting while sophomore Liz Hickey ( Virginia Beach, VA / Bishop Sullivan Catholic) added 13 points for the Eagles.
The Generals' freshman guard Bethany Ridenhour ( Westwood, NJ / Academy of Holy Angels) led W&L with 13 points and senior guard Louisa Feve ( Bethesda, MD / Winston Churchill) chipped in 11 points. Junior center Jessica Hunsinger ( Mayer, AZ - The Orme School) tallied 29 points and a tournament-high 20 rebounds in two games to earn All-Tournament status.
Swarthmore defeated Trinity ( Ct.) 68-64 in the consolation game. Senior guard Debbie Farrelly (Lebanon, NJ / Vorhees) hit a three-pointer with 37 seconds and then made three out of four from the free throw line to seal the victory. Senior forward Radiance Walters ( Gaithersburg, MD / The Bullis School) led the Garnet (1-1) with 17 points and eight rebounds while sophomore center Karen Berk ( Havertown, PA / Haverford) added 12 points, eight rebounds, three blocks, and two steals.
Berk was named to the All-Tournament team after accumulating 35 points, 16 rebounds, four blocks, and five steals in two games.
Trinity junior guard Sarah Cox ( Norwell, MA / Norwell), an All-Tournament selection, led the Bantams (0-2) with a game-high 22 points and 13 rebounds.
Tip Off Results
Saturday, November 19
Mary Washington 66, Trinity ( Ct.) 38
Washington & Lee 67, Swarthmore 60
Sunday, November 20
Championship -- Mary Washington 60, Washington & Lee 53
Consolation -- Swarthmore 68, Trinity 64
All-Tournament Team
Debbie Bruen, Mary Washington MVP
Ashton Mitchell, Mary Washington
Jessica Hunsinger, Washington & Lee
Karen Berk, Swarthmore
Sarah Cox, Trinity