Women’s Basketball

Category: Women’s Basketball

Lawrence comes up short at Ripon

RIPON, Wis. — The Ripon College women’s basketball team pulled away in the second quarter and kept Lawrence University at bay the rest of the game in a 74-57 Midwest Conference victory at the Storzer Center.

Freshman Maggie Oimoen scored 22 points on 11-of-14 shooting to pace Ripon (2-0, 1-0 MWC).

Liz Arco came off the bench to pace Lawrence (0-2, 0-1) with 18 points, eight rebounds and five assists. Fanita Robins and Olivia Hoesley added 11 points apiece for Lawrence.

Ripon led 15-14 late in the first quarter, but the Red Hawks scored eight consecutive points. The game then see-sawed as Lawrence trimmed the lead back seven before Ripon stretched it all the way to 33-16.

Hoesley then hit a 3-pointer, Robins connected on back-to-back jumpers and Arco hit a jumper to cut the lead to 37-25 at the half.

Lawrence was unable to put a dent in Ripon’s lead in the final two quarters. The Vikings never got closer than 10 points, but Ripon didn’t pull away.

Lawrence cut the lead to 62-51 on Natalie Kramer’s 3-pointer with 5:47 left in the fourth quarter before Ripon finally put the game away in the final minutes.

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Women’s basketball preview: Lawrence at Ripon, vs. Lake Forest

APPLETON, Wis. — The Lawrence University women’s basketball team opens Midwest Conference play on Saturday when the Vikings travel to rival Ripon College for a 5 p.m. game at the Storzer Center. Lawrence opens the home portion of its conference schedule when the Vikings host Lake Forest College at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, the night before Thanksgiving.

Preview

Vikings struggle early and fall to Marian

FOND DU LAC, Wis. — The Lawrence University women’s basketball team struggled out of the gate Tuesday and Marian University posted a 57-28 non-conference victory in the season opener at Sadoff Gymnasium.

Marian bolted to a 25-7 lead after the first quarter, and the Sabres led 36-10 at the half.

Nicole Paulus led Marian and all scorers with 19 points, and Brittany Bauman added 11.

Andrea Wilkinson led Lawrence with eight points and pulled down a game-high 12 rebounds to go along with three steals. The Vikings hit on only 10-of-48 shots from the floor (20.8 percent), and Lawrence shot just 2-of-13 (15.4 percent) from beyond the arc.

Marian opened the second half by scoring 11 consecutive points to push the lead to 47-10 and never led by less than 27 points the rest of the way.

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Vikings look to deliver big improvement this season

APPLETON, Wis. — Please forgive Lawrence University women’s basketball coach Ashley Wellman if Tuesday’s season opener isn’t the first thing on her mind these days.

As much as she’s concerned how her Vikings will fare at Marian University, her first thought next week will be delivering her first child, who is due Monday.

“We’re honestly playing things by ear,” said Wellman, who begins her third season on the Lawrence bench. “The preseason hasn’t been affected too much. The assistants have been awesome. They take over when I tell them I can’t do this or that.”

Assistant coaches Barry Harris and Alex Deshler will lead the team through games until Wellman returns.

“Our team is like a giant family so the players and parents know I want to be back, but they’re all prepared for it,” Wellman said.

The Vikings are looking for a substantial improvement after winning just one game a season ago. Lawrence returns three starters and multiple other key players from last year’s squad.

Sophomore forward Liz Arco leads the returning players after averaging 8.7 points, a team-best 5.7 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game as a rookie.

“We are going to use Liz’s athleticism in our offense so she can get to the basket and get to the foul line,” Wellman said.

The Vikings also return senior forward Andrea Wilkinson and sophomore guard Natalie Kramer to the starting lineup. Two other players who started multiple games last season, senior forward Patsy Kealey and sophomore guard Olivia Hoesley, also return. Kealey recently started practice after having a stellar season in goal for the Lawrence women’s soccer team.

“(Kealey and Wilkinson) will be out there a lot this year,” Wellman said. “Andrea’s been a returning starter for three years, and she will be expected to step up more this year in terms of scoring and rebounding.”

The Vikings also have a trio of sophomore guards, Fanita Robins, Nicole Cummins and Lauren Deveikis, ready to expand their roles.

“I feel as though we have 10 upperclassmen that all have game experience. That is going to be something that will help get us over the hump,” Wellman said. “We were missing experience, confidence and leadership. I feel as though we have all of those.”

The Vikings have four newcomers, junior transfer Aubrey Scott from UW-La Crosse, rookies Sammi Jo Nixon and Leah Reeves and sophomore Arianna Cohen, who will see action immediately. Scott is a former standout at Appleton East High School who played two seasons at La Crosse.

After winning just one game a season ago and seeing four or five freshmen on the court at once, Wellman believes the lessons learned from that difficult season should pay dividends now.

“Moral victories are a thing of the past hopefully. We are returning a lot of experience. We only have two true freshman who will be on the court for us,” Wellman said.

“That group of sophomores will be the ones who see us over the hump. Our two seniors are the leaders, and they are doing a great job of guiding us through things and having everyone on the same page.”

Abaray emerges from national search to lead Lawrence Department of Athletics

Christyn Abaray
Christyn Abaray

APPLETON, Wis. — Christyn Abaray is the new Lawrence University Director of Athletics, President Mark Burstein announced today.

Abaray takes over for Mike Szkodzinski, who announced this past spring he was stepping down to devote his full attention to coaching the Vikings’ ice hockey team. Abaray has served as director of athletics at Buena Vista University in Storm Lake, Iowa, since June 2012.

Read the full release

Six to be inducted into Lawrence Hall of Fame

A championship-winning coach and five former student-athletes will be inducted into the Lawrence University Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame on Oct. 16.

Long-time swimming and diving coach Kurt Kirner will be enshrined with two-sport star Shannon Arendt LaRoux, runners Courtney Miller Cameron and Shelley Ebert Navis, basketball star Felice Porrata and baseball star Steve Blomberg.

The induction ceremony takes place at the Blue and White Dinner at the Warch Campus Center on Oct. 16, and the inductees are also introduced at the Hall of Fame football game vs. Carroll University at 5 p.m. on Oct. 17 on Roberts Field at the Banta Bowl.

Steve Blomberg
Steve Blomberg

Steve Blomberg ’74

Steve Blomberg’s athletic career at Lawrence was brief, but the Brookfield, Wis., native stands as the finest hitter in school history.

Blomberg played two seasons of baseball at Lawrence before signing with the Kansas City Royals. He went on to play five seasons in the minor leagues and reached as high as Double-A before retiring.

A standout running back, Blomberg played varsity football as a sophomore and rushed for more than 1,000 yards, breaking or tying six school records along the way.

An outfielder on the baseball team, Blomberg was a career .481 hitter, hitting .485 in 1971 and .475 in 1972. Blomberg, whose season batting average record stood for 24 years, is the only player in Lawrence history to hit .400 in back-to-back seasons. A two-time All-Midwest Conference selection, Blomberg also earned Topp’s District All-America honors twice.

Known for his powerful bat, Blomberg posted a career .915 slugging percentage and still holds the season record at .984. He set career records with 12 home runs and seven triples and set season records with seven triples, nine home runs and 30 runs batted in. Blomberg continues to hold the game record of three homers.

Lawrence’s 1972 team tied with St. Olaf College for the Midwest Conference championship, the Vikings’ first league title.

During his one season of football, Blomberg was a first-team all-conference selection and was named the team’s Most Valuable Back. The Vikings finished 6-3 as Blomberg ran 204 times for 1,060 yards, a 5.2-yard average, and caught 16 passes for 239 yards.

Blomberg tied All-American Chuck McKee’s season record of 78 points scored in the process. He also broke the season records for punt returns, punt return yards, kickoff returns, kickoff return yardage and kickoff return average.

After playing five seasons in the minor leagues, Blomberg retired after playing the 1976 season with the Shreveport Captains of the Double-A Texas League. Blomberg hit .248, belted 38 homers and drove in 149 runs during his pro career.

A salesman for Waters Industrial Supply Co., Blomberg and his wife, Jeanne, have two children, Sam and Rebecca, and live in Waukesha. He also has a son, David, who resides in Huntington Beach, Calif.

Courtney Miller Cameron
Courtney Miller Cameron

Courtney Miller Cameron ’04

Courtney Miller displayed consistent excellence in cross country and collected a fistful of Midwest Conference track championships to stand as one of the great distance runners in Lawrence history.

A native of Rochester, N.Y., Miller is the only cross country runner in Lawrence history to finish in the top 10 at the Midwest Conference Championships four times and is one of just three four-time all-conference honorees.

Miller posted second-place finishes at the MWC Championships in 2001 and 2003 and took ninth in 1999 and 2000. Part of a stellar group of distance runners, Miller led the Vikings to MWC cross country titles in 1999 and 2001 and second-place finishes in 2000 and 2003.

Running in the toughest regional in the nation, Miller grabbed one of the few individual qualifying spots for the NCAA Division III Championships in 1999 when she finished 26th to earn All-Midwest Region honors. She went on to finish 128th at the NCAA meet.

Miller, who was twice named the MWC Performer of the Week, took home individual titles at the Beloit Old English Classic and the Wisconsin Private College Championships in 2001 and won the Lawrence Invitational in 2003.

Miller, who didn’t compete during the 2002-03 academic year due to injury, also starred on the track for the Vikings. Miller was named the Outstanding Performer at both the 2004 indoor and outdoor Midwest Conference Championships and won five individual track titles and one relay championship.

Miller capped her 2004 indoor season at the MWC Championships by winning the the 800 meters in 2:18.94 and taking first in the 1,500 in 4:47.70. She also placed third in the 3,000 and ran a school-record time of 10:38.70. Miller also holds the indoor mark in the 1,000 meters at 3:04.67. At the MWC’s outdoor meet, Miller won the 800 (2:19.93) and 1,500 (4:51.11) and took second in the 5,000.

Miller claimed her first league title when she won the 800 at the 2000 MWC indoor meet with a time of 2:19.78. She also was part of the winning sprint medley relay team at the 2003 indoor MWC Championships. Miller teamed with Shelley Ebert, Sarah Slivinski and Jess Moser for a winning time of 4:16.80. Miller also was chosen as a MWC Performer of the Week during both the indoor and outdoor seasons during her career.

Miller won the school’s Outstanding Freshman Athletic Award for Women and claimed the Ruth Bateman Award for excellence in scholarship, athletic ability and leadership by a female athlete.

Miller earned degrees in German and violin performance at Lawrence and went on to earn her master of music degree in violin performance from the University of Illinois. Miller plays with the Victoria Symphony, and she and her husband, Matt, live in Victoria, B.C.

Kurt Kirner
Kurt Kirner

Kurt Kirner

Kurt Kirner took Lawrence swimming to a new level as his teams won a pair of Midwest Conference titles and he coached nearly 200 league champions.

A native of Prairie du Sac, Wis., Kirner took over for another Lawrence Hall of Famer, Gene Davis, in 1991. He coached both the men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams for the next 16 seasons before moving to Division II Hillsdale College.

Kirner’s men’s team won the Midwest Conference Championships team title in 1996 and 2000. Kirner was named the MWC Men’s Coach of the Year in 1996 and 2006 and was the Women’s Coach of the Year in 2007.

Kirner, who coached eight current Lawrence Hall of Famers, had a remarkable record in the biggest meets of each season. The Lawrence men posted an average finish of 2.6 at the MWC Championships, and the women’s average finish at the league meet was 2.9. Following his first season as head coach, the Lawrence men finished third or higher in the Midwest Conference in 13 of the next 15 seasons. The Lawrence women did the guys one better, finishing third or higher in the league in 14 of Kirner’s final 15 seasons.

Kirner saw a remarkable 187 swimmers crowned Midwest Conference champions during his tenure at Lawrence. The 1995-96 men’s team had a stunning 36 competitors take the top spot in 1996 as Lawrence won 12 individual titles and six relays at the MWC Championships. The women’s team set a best of 19 league champions in 1993 and had 18 in 1995.

Lawrence established itself as the state’s dominant private college program during Kirner’s tenure. The Lawrence women won eight team titles at the Wisconsin Private College Championships and finished second eight times. The Lawrence men won six titles at the Private College Championships and finished second 10 times.

Kirner also broke new ground for Lawrence swimming at the NCAA Division III Championships. Becky Wagenaar was Lawrence’s first female All-American and earned All-America honors three times. Tracy Maschman was an All-American in 1995 and 1996, and Chas Mitchell eared All-America honors on the men’s side in 1996.

Kirner’s teams were also great in the classroom as perennial winners of the Scholar All-America Team award from the College Swimming Coaches Association of America. The 1996-97 men’s team posted the highest grade point average in the nation.

In addition to his coaching duties at Lawrence, Kirner served as the building and programming director for the Buchanan Kiewit Wellness Center from May 1993-May 2006.

Kirner coaches the women’s swim team and is an assistant professor at Hillsdale College. He and his wife, Susan, have two sons, Quinn and Clayton.

Shannon Arendt LaRoux
Shannon Arendt LaRoux

Shannon Arendt LaRoux ’04

Shannon Arendt starred on the field and on the court for the Vikings. A standout infielder for the Lawrence softball team, Arendt also was a powerful outside hitter for the volleyball squad.

The Hortonville, Wis., native started for four years at second base and received postseason honors in three seasons. Arendt was an All-Midwest Conference selection in 2003 and 2004 and earned National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-Great Lakes Region honors in 2001.

A career .324 hitter, Arendt batted in the No. 2 spot in the lineup and piled up 26 doubles, three triples and one homer while driving in 62 runs and scoring 88 times.

Arendt helped Lawrence to a 71-57-1 record in her four seasons, and the Vikings qualified for the MWC Tournament for three consecutive seasons (2002-04). Lawrence won the 2003 North Division title and hosted the four-team conference tournament.

Arendt was a force as an outside hitter on the volleyball court and earned All-Midwest Conference honors in 2002 and 2003. She also led Lawrence to its best season in school history in 2001 when the Vikings went 19-12 and finished third in the Midwest Conference.

Arendt’s name is all over the Lawrence records, and she ranks second with 1,357 career kills. A career .187 hitter, Arendt had three of the top six season kill totals when she graduated. She posted a career-high 27 kills in a match twice, and her 448 kills in 2003 led the team.

Arendt’s wicked serve accounted for 199 career aces, which is tops in Lawrence history. She also holds the record for aces in a match (12) and season (69). Arendt has three of the top four season totals for aces in Lawrence history.

A fine defensive player as well, Arendt ranked second in school history with 1,604 digs when she graduated. She also piled up 100 career blocks.

Arendt, who received a degree in biology with an interdisciplinary in psychology, received her nursing degree from Rush University. She works as an aesthetic nurse at Fox Valley Plastic Surgery. Arendt and her husband, Alex, have a dog, Gunner, and a cat, Gizzie.

Shelley Ebert Navis
Shelley Ebert Navis

Shelley Ebert Navis ’03

Shelley Ebert blazed to eight Midwest Conference track titles, set six school records and was a key contributor on a pair of conference championship cross country teams.

A two-time qualifier for the NCAA Division III Track and Field Championships, Ebert earned berths in the 800 meters for the 2002 indoor national meet and the 2003 outdoor championships.

Ebert continues to hold the school record both indoors and outdoors in the 800. She set the indoor mark of 2:18.01 at the 2002 NCAA Division III Championships and set the outdoor record of 2:14.30 in 2003.

A native of Janesville, Wis., Ebert dominated the 800 in the Midwest Conference for most of her career. She won the title indoors in the 800 for three consecutive years, 2001, 2002 and 2003. Ebert was named the Most Outstanding Performer at the 2003 MWC Indoor Championships.

Ebert took the title in the 800 at the MWC outdoor meet in 2002 and 2003 and also claimed the title in the 1,500 meters in 2003. Ebert was named the Most Outstanding Performer at the MWC Outdoor Championships in 2003. She also claimed three MWC track performer of the week awards.

A track team captain, Ebert also was a part of four school relay records and a pair of conference title winners.

Ebert teamed with Sarah Slivinski, Jess Moser and Courtney Miller to win the sprint medley relay at the 2003 indoor conference championships in 4:16.80. At the same meet, the 4×400 relay team of Ebert, Slivinski, Moser and Kim Boeckers finished second and set the school record of 4:09.03. The same relay team set the school record of 4:03.28 outdoors in 2003 and won the title at the MWC Championships.

The sprint medley relay team of Ebert, Slivinski, Sally Schonfeld and Kate Okenatez set the school record of 4:16.47 in 2000. The distance medley relay team of Ebert, Schonfeld, Moser and Katy Roll set the school record of 12:10.49 in 2002.

Ebert was part of an outstanding group of cross country runners and helped the Vikings to team titles at the 1999 and 2001 Midwest Conference Championships. The Vikings finished second in 2000 and took fourth in 2002.

Ebert earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Lawrence. She has a master’s degree in professional development from Winona State University and a post-master’s school counseling certificate from UW-Whitewater. She is married to another Lawrence cross country and track standout, Peter Navis ’03, and they live in Fort Atkinson with their two children, Rachel and Michael.

Felice Porrata
Felice Porrata

Felice Porrata ’05

Felice Porrata quietly went about her business on the basketball court at Lawrence and emerged as one of the greatest players in school history.

Porrata’s competent consistency resulted in spectacular career numbers, and she was just the second player in Lawrence history to be a four-time All-Midwest Conference selection. The native of Glenview, Ill., joined Hall of Famer Jackie Huss as the only other four-time all-conference pick. Porrata was a first-team selection in 2004 and 2005 and a second-team pick in 2002 and 2003.

Porrata scored 1,186 career points, which ranked only behind Hall of Famer Sarah O’Neil when she graduated. Porrata averaged 12.8 points per game while shooting 47.9 percent from the floor. Porrata also ranks third with 645 career rebounds (6.9 average), and she is the only player in Lawrence history with 1,000 points and 500 rebounds.

Not only was Porrata one of the league’s top scorers during her career, she also was a fine defensive player. Porrata ranked second in Lawrence history with 241 steals when she graduated and was second with 54 blocks.

A team captain, Porrata led Lawrence to three appearances in the four-team Midwest Conference Tournament during her four seasons. Lawrence made the tournament in 2002, 2003 and 2005.

The Vikings reached the conference championship game in 2005 and finished second in the league. Lawrence’s 18 wins in 2004-05 tied for the highest win total in school history and still ranks second all-time.

Porrata also played one season of softball and emerged as a contributor for the Vikings. Porrata played as a senior in 2005 and started 16 games in the outfield. The Vikings went 9-4 in Midwest Conference play, won the league’s North Division and hosted the Midwest Conference Tournament on their way to a 17-win season.

Porrata, who earned a bachelor’s degree in Spanish, lives in Kansas City, Mo. She works as a freight broker at Efreightship.

More than 150 Lawrence student-athletes named to Academic All-MWC team

APPLETON, Wis. — More than 150 Lawrence University student-athletes have been named to the Academic All-Midwest Conference team.

Lawrence had 153 student-athletes meet the minimum grade point average of 3.33 during the 2014-15 academic year. The top team for the Vikings was women’s indoor track, which had 17 student-athletes honored. Other top performing teams were women’s cross country and women’s soccer with 13 selections apiece, women’s swimming and diving with 12 and men’s soccer and women’s outdoor track with 11 apiece.

A total of 1,859 student-athletes were selected across the conference, and that surpasses the total of 1,752 honored during the 2013-14 academic year.

Complete List

 

 

Inside LU Athletics: Vikings hoping little victories will translate into big wins

APPLETON, Wis. — The Lawrence University women’s basketball team just endured a season that saw just one mark on the winning side of the ledger.

Normally, that would signal disaster. In this case, the Vikings look at that one win as a seed from which to grow a strong, sustainable program.

“It’s definitely not the result we were all expecting on paper,” said Lawrence coach Ashley Wellman, who just finished her second season with the Vikings. “We made a lot of progress and improvements along the way. Our freshmen got a lot of valuable playing time and their games improved as well.”

Wellman took the court with a group that included three freshmen in the starting lineup on a regular basis. The growing pains were substantial, but the potential is just as great.

“We looked at the little victories along the way, but we didn’t see the results in the win category,” Wellman said.

“In the team aspect, we improved throughout the year in playing as a unit and getting used to playing college basketball. A lot of our freshmen came in and thought it was going to be like high school basketball, and they got a rude awakening.”

Lawrence loses seniors Kassidy Rinehart and Bethany Hoster to graduation, but the Vikings will return nine of their top 10 scorers from next season.

“The three things we were missing coming into this season was leadership, confidence and experience,” Wellman said. “We have all of those things coming back. We just need to work on that confidence level.”

As the Vikings look ahead, they see a bright future built around the talents of current freshmen Danelle Buck and Elizabeth Arco. Buck led the team in scoring at 9.4 points per game and was second on the squad at 5.5 rebounds per game. Arco was second on the team in scoring at 8.7 points per game and averaged a team-high 5.7 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per conest.

“Danelle constantly gave us double-digit figures in scoring and rebounding, and she worked her butt off on both ends of the court,” Wellman said. “She has a lot of things to work on, but if her work ethic stays the same, she can be a very good player.”

Buck seemed to grow more confident and comfortable as the season progressed. After returning from a two-game absence due to injury in mid-January, Buck averaged 10.2 points and 6.3 rebounds over her final 11 games.

Arco showed just how good she could be against Cornell’s Taylor Dicus, arguably the best post player in the Midwest Conference. Arco scored 19 points, grabbed six rebounds and handed out three assists while matched up against Dicus. Over her final 11 games, Arco averaged 10.5 points and 6.1 rebounds per game.

“Seeing that kind of game against Cornell and the potential Liz has, we just need her to do that consistently,” Wellman said. “Once we can get her to play a little more under control, she has the right attitude and work ethic to get there. We are planning to use more of her speed and athleticism in the future.”

Arco’s size (6-foot-1), foot speed and length are a unique combination among post players in NCAA Division III.

“Liz has a huge upside,” Wellman said. “She’s very long and athletic. This year she was trying to adjust to the college game in general.”

Current juniors Patsy Kealey and Andrea Wilkinson and freshman guard Natalie Kramer are the team’s other returning starters. Rookie guards Olivia Hoesley, Nicole Cummins, Fanita Robins and Lauren Deveikis also all saw significant action during the past season.

“We definitely got better in handling and passing the ball as the year went on. Definitely not where we want to be but we improved,” Wellman said.

The players’ decision-making and shot selection improved as well, Wellman added.

“We seemed to get a lot smarter and played within ourselves and got a lot better,” Wellman said.

The biggest issue for the Vikings was consistent scoring. Lawrence was solid defensively, but the Vikings shot just 33.6 percent from the floor and were last in the league in scoring at 45.8 points per game. Lawrence also shot a league-worst 52.5 percent from the foul line.

“Our shooting percentage as a team was not good,” Wellman said. “There were games where we were holding teams under 50 points, which is great at the college level, but we couldn’t score 51.”

Wellman said this off-season will be critical for her returning players. They need to work on their offensive games and free-throw shooting, according to Wellman.

“They need to work on their fundamentals,” Wellman said.

“We need players who can put the ball in hole more. That’s the biggest area of our game where we need to make huge strides this summer.”

Second-half surge pushes Scots past Lawrence

APPLETON, Wis. — The Monmouth College women’s basketball team pulled away midway through the second half and went on to a 48-36 Midwest Conference victory over Lawrence University in the season finale at Alexander Gymnasium.

Kathleen Forrest led Monmouth (10-13, 9-9 MWC) with 15 points, and Tiffany Churchill added 11.

Danelle Buck and Natalie Kramer had nine points apiece to pace Lawrence (1-22, 0-18), and Elizabeth Arco and Olivia Hoesley added eight points apiece. Buck and Kassidy Rinehart both grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds for the Vikings.

The Scots led 23-16 at the half, but Lawrence rallied in the early minutes of the second half. Buck ripped off the first seven points after the break on two layups and capped by a 3-pointer that tied the game at 23-23 with 16:13 left.

Hoesley later hit a 3-pointer to cut Monmouth’s lead to 30-28, but that’s when the Scots took control. Monmouth scored the game’s next eight points, capped by Churchill’s 3-pointer, to take a 38-28 lead with 9:45 remaining.

Lawrence cut the lead to seven points on two occasions after that but could get no closer.

The Vikings led by as many as three points in the first half, and the score was tied five times before the break. Monmouth grabbed the lead on Forrest’s 3-pointer with 3:25 left in the first half, and that spurred the Scots to take a 23-16 lead at halftime.

Box score