YORK - The York College Lady Spartans continue their magical run into the Sweet 16 by knocking off the Baruch College Bearcats 90-73.

  

     Charles Wolf Gymnasium on the campus of York College was the host to over 1,000 fans, mostly wearing Spartan green, whom were able to see the the Spartans clinch a birth into the Sweet 16 for the first time in school history. On the other side, Baruch College was coming off a big win over Cabrini, but nothing is tougher than facing the Spartans (#10 in the USA Today/ESPN Coaches and #12 on d3hoops.com polls) at their home barn.

  

     The tip off between Baruch’s Christina Kelly and York’s Jamie Sapp would provide an early taste of the intensity this game would display. Kelly followed her tipoff win and led to a quick bucket and the foul on Chanel Perez in which the Bearcats took an early three point lead. The Senior, Perez, was determined to rebound from the early foul and did just that, scoring 10 of the Spartan’s first 14 points. “Chanel’s excitement early on really showed that we needed to rebound and it got us all more motivated,” said fellow Senior Amanda Andrews. Chanel was held scoreless for the remainder of the game, but her defense stuck with her.

  

     All-American candidate and Senior Keli Ward got off to a rough start for the Spartans with two turnovers early on, but as always bounced back. Ward set up Caitlyn Byrne in two out of three possessions for easy buckets. Byrne off the bench provided a spark and finished with four points and a rebound. Spartans coach Betsy Witman approved of her play off the bench saying they never “lost a step with Caitlyn on the floor.” Baruch’s Kalea Davis, who leads the Bearcats in scoring got off to a rough start culminated by an airball at the free throw line with 9:07 left in the first half. York began to buckle down on defense and led to back to back field goals for Andrews, whom finished with 13 points and 5 assists. Andrews sparked the team, which finished the half on a 12-4 run and held Baruch scoreless for the final 2:11 in the half. The Spartans led the Bearcats 41-33 at halftime.

  

     York men’s basketball coach Jeff Gamber and soccer coach Mark Ludwig were in attendance as the Spartans saw deja vu starting the second half. Awa Diop for the Bearcats hit a long three to cut the Spartan lead to 5 thirty seconds in. Kalea Davis tried to be more assertive early in the half, but nothing would fall. The Bearcats would continue to roll and eventually cut the lead to 2. Coach Witman had enough and called a timeout and immediately after, it was the April Sparkman and Jamie Sapp show. Sapp got to the free throw line and knocked two in, and then a quick offensive foul on Baruch’s Monique Salmon sent Bearcats coach Michali Joseph into a frenzy. With 13:11 to go in the game, the technical foul on Joseph brought the intensity of the crowd and the players to a new level. At this point, the Spartans led by ten, 56-46, and Baruch was unable to recover.

  

     Kelli Ward scored back to back buckets and dropped a dime to April Sparkman jumping the lead to 14.  Point Guard Karlee Whipple tried her best to keep the Bearcats in it, but it still was not enough. She finished the day with 10 points. Sparkman led the charge as the Spartans pulled away, scoring seven straight points with 6:30 to go. She finished with 21 points and 7 rebounds. The Sophomores played big including a career game from Jamie Sapp who threw up a miraculous left handed layup, and concluded the day with 18 points and six boards. The Lady Spartans melted clock and sparked by a Keli Ward three, eventually got the victory 90-73, sending them to the Sweet 16 for the first time ever.

  

     You could point to several keys to why the Spartans prevailed, but the majority of the time, you point to one person, Keli Ward. Although she got off to a rough start offensively, her game did not suffer. She ended the game with 19 points and 8 assists. If there is ever such a thing as a quiet 19, she had it, to continue campaigning for all-american status in division III. It could have been York’s success from the free throw line, in which they shot their best percentage of the year making 16 of 17 from the charity stripe.

    

     Jamie Sapp played her best game of the season on offense, but Coach Witman was more impressed with the job she did on defense against Kalea Davis. “I will give a lot of credit to Jamie on defense, and played great on Davis,” said Witman. Davis collected 17 points on 7-16 shooting, but only 8 rebounds, which snapped her fifteen game double double streak. Sapp has clearly been motivated on not letting the six seniors for the Spartans down.  “I’m going out there taking it one game at a time as if it could be the last game ever with these seniors,” Sapp explained.

  

     The style of play could not have been any more different between the two teams. The Bearcats played more of an isolation and intense style of defense, while York wanted to slow the tempo with quick passing. Kelli Ward was constantly pressured bringing the ball up the court by Whipple, but she said, “it was very important to control the tempo and not get into their style of game.” Coach Witman kept her team composed despite turning the ball over 17 times. “We are an executing type of team,” Witman said, “and we depend on the intensity on the defensive end of the floor.” Baruch shot 35% from the floor, while York shot 54%.

  

     The Spartans came off a disappointing loss to Mary Washington in the conference championship game, but Coach Witman and the team still feel they are playing their best basketball. Although some coaches can’t pin point a specific game in which they can tell they have somethin special, Coach Witman is different. “I think it was at Mary Washington, where we played the most amazing first half, and it carried over to the second half when they were on their 35 game home winning streak, and we played out of our minds,” coach said. The Spartans went on to win that game 77-72 in early January.

  

     As soft spoken as Keli Ward is, she could not help but show her excitement for this year’s team.  “It’s so exciting being that this is the best team I have been a part of for my four years,” she said with a smile on her face. “Every game in this tournament has lived up to my expectation because every game is close and it’s tough competition.” The confidence is there from Coach Witman’s ladies, but as she said with a stern look on her face, “There’s a lot of excitement in the locker room, but we’re not done yet.”

  

     The Sweet 16 matches the Spartans up with the University of Scranton on Friday, March 13th, with the location still yet to be determined, but a bid to the elite eight waiting to be punched. For the Spartans, Coach Witman is giving the ladies off on Sunday, and a light lifting day on Monday, but it will be back to the grind for practice Tuesday and Wednesday in preparation for Scranton. “I just expect us to play like we did this weekend and I think we will be fine,” Ward went on to say. This being the weekend in which they defeated Newport and Baruch by an average margin of 15. Coach Witman understands the challenge but realizes they have what it takes. ”Every team is gonna be great from here on out, and we need to be on our game and I think we are up for the challenge because we are a great team.”

    

     The Spartans will take their next shot at getting to the Final Four, something York College tasted in the 2004-2005 season on the men’s side. The Spartans will face the University of Scranton Friday March 13th with the location and time yet to be decided.

  

Subscribe to the comments feed, reply, or trackback.