Tondo leads way for Case

CLEVELAND — Ashleigh Tondo of McDonald has blossomed into the leader of the Case Western Reserve University women’s basketball team in only her second year with the Spartans.

A 5-foot-9 sophomore point guard from McDonald High, Tondo leads the team in many statistical categories and has helped the Spartans to a 7-4 record entering league play Saturday in the University Athletic Association at Emory University.

Tondo, who is majoring in biology and pre-medicine, recently enjoyed her eighth game this season scoring in double figures Jan. 3 against Kalamazoo. She poured in a career- and game-high 35 points, including 21 in the second half, to lead an 85-65 win.

Tondo leads the team in scoring average (16.6), field goals made (64), free throw percentage (71.7 on 33-for-46), assists (6.0) and steals (33). She also is third in 3-point-goal percentage (34.9 on 22-for-63) and rebounds (5.5), while making 64-for-175 from the field for 36.6 percent.

Last season as a freshman, Tondo scored 219 points (8.8-point average) and ranked second on the team in assists (57) and third in rebounds while playing in all 25 games.

Perhaps her best game last season was against Mount St. Joseph when she had 17 points, 11 rebounds and six steals.

Case Western Reserve is coached by first-year mentor Jennifer Reimer, who joined the Spartans in September from Allegheny.

Graf off to strong start
for Ohio Wesleyan

DELAWARE — Steffi Graf, a 5-7 senior wing for the Ohio Wesleyan women’s basketball team from Poland High, is a big reason that the Battling Bishops are off to a strong start (8-4, 3-2 North Coast Athletic Conference).

Graf leads the team in steals (31), ranks second in free throw percentage (81.8 on 27-for-33), third in scoring (8.9) and assists (29) and fourth in rebounds (3.2).

She was named NCAC player of the week Dec. 30, when she led Ohio Wesleyan to a pair of wins and the championship of the South Padre Island (Texas) Shootout.

In a first-round game of the tourney, Graf had 11 points, four rebounds and four assists in a 74-67 win over Adrian. Then she had five assists, four steals and four points in a defensively-strong 59-38 victory over Ripon for the championship.

Graf was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player.

Ripon’s 38 points marked the fewest Ohio Wesleyan has allowed since January 2003, when the Battling Bishops defeated Hilbert, 69-27.

Zunic, DiCello lead
Hiram basketball team

HIRAM — Stephanie Zunic (Canfield) and Sam DiCello (East Palestine) have been two of the leaders for the Hiram College women’s basketball team through 12 games, although the Terriers have been struggling so far this season (3-9, 1-3 NCAC).

Zunic, a 5-7 junior guard, leads the team in field goals (45, 3.8 a game) and steals (18 for 1.5 a game), and is second in scoring average (10.2), 3-point goals (11 for 0.9 a game) and assists (2.3, 28 overall).

DiCello, a 5-5 sophomore guard, has played in all 12 games, starting seven of them, and leads the team in 3-point-goal percentage (47.1 on 8-for-17) and steals (8).

DiCello also ranks third in steals (10 for 0.9) while averaging 5.1 points and 3.1 rebounds.

Brittany Mayle leads Hiram in scoring (11.0) and assists (2.3), while Caitlyn Ruese is tops in rebounding (5.7).

Also on the Terriers’ roster is Brittany Palmer, a 5-5 sophomore guard from Girard.

XJohn Kovach covers college athletics for The Vindicator. Write to him at kovach@vindy.com.