Mustangs blowout Crusaders on Senior Day

Sara Tarbert moved into second all-time in Division III women’s basketball history with her 25th consecutive double-double.
On Senior Day the Stevenson Mustangs women’s basketball clinched the No. 3 seed with a dominant 72-34 victory over Alvernia on Tuesday at Owings Mills Gymnasium.
In what was the third-straight win for the Mustangs Senior Sara Tarbert recorded her 24th double-double of the season and 25th-straight double-double dating back to last season with 16 points and 11 rebounds. With 25 in a row, Tarbert has the second-longest double-double streak in history and is just one behind the record of 26-straight set by Christine Daniels of Norwich, achieved during the 2010-11 season.
With a guaranteed spot in the MAC Commonwealth Semifinals, Tarbert will have an opportunity to set the record as the team will play one final regular-season game on Saturday at Lycoming before participating in the conference tournament.
Stevenson outshot Alvernia 46.9-percent to 26.8-percent from the floor, outscored them in the paint 50-24 and out-rebounded them 44-33. The 34 points allowed and the 38-point margin of victory were the best marks for the team since they beat NYU Poly by the same 72-34 score on Nov. 30, 2013.
Tarbert’s classmates Niavanni Grant and Kameron Ward also started the game and scored six and five-point respectively. Ward, who transferred from UMBC with Tarbert three years ago, also had six rebounds and three assists.
Tarbert opened the game with a 3-pointer and Grant followed just 13 seconds later with a layup. Then, after Liv Andrefski got the Crusaders on the board, but that would be the only score Alvernia would have in the first quarter. Ward followed Alvernia’s layup with a score and sparked a nine-point Mustangs run.
A jumper by Grant and 3-pointer by Kristen Tennyson extended the run to 14-straight for the Stevenson and gave them an 18-2 lead with 7:40 left in the first half.
The Crusaders had a more successful second quarter offensively, but they still were held to only seven points in the period and couldn’t string together any of their baskets. After Andrefski hit a jumper for the Crusader’s first points of the second quarter, Stevenson held them scoreless for another five minutes and increased their lead to 25-4.
Stevenson held a 29-9 lead at halftime after Kaitlyn VanTash sandwiched a Miranda Hoover layup with two of her own down the stretch of the second quarter.
Stevenson opened the third quarter with eight-straight points and after a Maya Cooper layup, they scored 20 in a row to end the period. Stevenson again held the Crusaders to only two points in the quarter. The Mustangs led 57-11 heading into the fourth quarter.
With the dominant lead, Stevenson cleared their bench in the fourth quarter. The Crusaders ended up tripping their score total by the game’s end with 23 points in the fourth quarter, but the Mustangs were never even threatened for a loss.
Stevenson improved to 16-8 overall and 11-4 in MACC play. They will travel to Lycoming for their regular-season finale before beginning their conference tournament next Wednesday.
Corey Johns
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