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FORT WAYNE - Indiana-Purdue Fort Wayne followed a simple formula for success Thursday in a 71-43 win over Grace in college women's basketball.
The formula: excellent defense and even better shooting.
"We aren't a fancy team," IPFW coach Karl Smesko said. "We aren't going to throw a lot at you. We are about being disciplined - taking good shots and forcing turnovers."
The Mastadons shot 53 percent in the first half and outscored the Lancers 28-6 in the paint in the game to cruise to the victory.
"We just gave up too many easy lay-ups," Grace coach Lori Wynn said.
Compounding Grace's woes, while IPFW was scoring the Lancers struggled with just 31-percent shooting in the first half and 27 in the second.
"We were trying to force some tough shots. But they are a better shooting team than they showed." Smesko said.
Wynn gives some credit to the defensive effort. "We got good looks for the most part. Some of it was their defense. They forced us. But, if you look at points that we missed we didn't help ourselves out."
The hole the Lancers shooting dug became much deeper when with 32 turnovers - including 22 in the first half - led to exactly 32 IPFW points. The offensive show by IPFW produced two extended scorings runs in the first half that put the game of out reach.
The Mastadons built a 16-6 lead with 13:01 in the half on a 5:44 run outscoring the Lancers 12-4. IPFW followed up with a 19-4 run that took 7:27 and made the score 37-19 with 2:40 to play in the first half.
The closest the Lancers came was 18-13 with 10:17 in the first half on a basket inside by Danielle Mowery. Mowery, a junior, led the Lancers with 14 points.
"When she stays out of trouble she is one of our best players," Wynn said. "She is aggressive, she can jump, she will take the ball to the hole, she does a lot of nice things."
Wynn was also pleased with the half-court defense and rebounding for her team. The Lancers out-rebounded the Mastadons 48-34, including 11 by Mowery and Arica Edwards.
Wynn tries to see the game in the perspective of building a program and teaching a young team, despite the obvious disappointment.
"I think we did some decent things and we can build on those things."
Smesko agrees that Grace is a team that seems to be on track to becoming a better squad.
"I can see the improvement they are making, I expect them - even this year to get nothing but better."
IPFW improves to 6-1. Grace drops to 6-9 will next face NAIA No. 2 ranked St. Francis Wednesday in Fort Wayne.
