Box score

Greencastle, Ind. - In what probably couldn't have been a more emotional day and week for the DePauw women's basketball team, the Tigers clawed their way to a 77-65 Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference win over visiting Southwestern to move a step closer to the SCAC's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Championship.

On Monday, former teammate Amy Hasbrook '00 died in a fire at her home, and just hours before tipoff on Friday was laid to rest. She was remembered in a pregame ceremony in song and with a moment of silence.

The Tigers' performance on Friday night probably would have made Amy proud as the Tigers withheld a run late in the first half and early in the second to pull away to the win.

DePauw trailed 13-12 with just over nine minutes to play, but began a 14-2 run which gave it a 26-15 lead with 5:41 remaining in the half. The margin reached as many as 12 at 29-17, but the Pirates rallied late in the half with a 9-2 run to close the gap to 33-30 at the break.

Southwestern opened the second half with three straight buckets to take its biggest lead of the contest at 36-33. They still led 44-43 before the Tigers scored the next 10 points on eight straight from Lindsey Rush and two from Sarah MacKay. The Pirates got no closer than six the rest of the way.

Five Tigers scored in double figures led by Rush's season-high 16. Amy Argetsinger and Colleen Powers followed with 12, while Katie Imborek and MacKay each scored 11. Powers, Argetsinger and MacKay each grabbed six rebounds.

Hillary Mueller led the Pirates with 14 followed by Misty Reichenau with 12 and Sarah Christofferson with 10.

The 11th-ranked Tigers improved to 19-2 on the season and 14-0 in the SCAC with their school-record 18th straight win. The previous record was 17 by the 1998-99 team and ended in the NCAA Sweet Sixteen. Southwestern slipped to 9--1 overall and 6-7 in the SCAC.

DePauw hosts Trinity at 2 p.m. on Sunday. The Tigers can clinch at least a share of their fourth straight SCAC title and sixth straight conference championship overall with a win. A win on

Sunday would also give the Tigers the SCAC's bid to the NCAA Championship. Trinity defeated Rose-Hulman, 80-59, on Friday.