Jan. 20, 2007

BULLDOGS TRIPPED BY BELLES
St. Mary’s rallies for season sweep

By Ed Patino
Sports Information Assistant

SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The Adrian College women’s basketball team had a much better start than finish.

A pair of runs in the closing minutes of each half helped the St. Mary’s College Belles rally for an 84-72 victory over the Bulldogs at the Angela Athletic Center.

Since consecutive wins in the last week of December, Adrian (7-9, 2-7 MIAA) has dropped five of its last six games. For the first time since joining the conference during the 1997-98 season, St. Mary’s (6-10, 5-4 MIAA) swept the two-game regular season series from the Bulldogs.

Adrian opened the game strong, taking a 15-8 lead after Nichole Roose sank a 3-pointer five minutes in. The Belles fought back to within one two minutes later, but the Bulldogs countered with a 16-4 run midway through the first half. Liz Hafeli kicked off the run with a 3-pointer, then Jenny Carlson took over three inside layups. Corri Helldobler buried missile and Carlson added another layup with 7:11 remaining, giving Adrian a 31-18 lead.

Momentum shifted in St. Mary’s favor after that as the Belles closed the half with a 21-3 run. Alison Kessler started the surge with a 3-pointer shortly after Carlson’s basket, then Anna Kammrath scored consecutive layups for a 34-34 tie with 2:36 left in the half. Kammrath gave the Belles their first lead with a traditional 3-point play a minute later, then Bridget Lipke’s jumper put St. Mary’s up 39-34 at the break.

During the first half, the Bulldogs shot 52 percent from the floor, including 6-for-8 from behind the arc.

Kessler hit a 3-pointer midway through the second half, giving the Belles a 10-point lead, but Adrian stayed within striking distance. A pair of jumpers by Helldobler and Carlson brought the Bulldogs to within 70-65 with 2:13 remaining. However, St. Mary’s hit 14 free throws down the stretch to pull away.

Adrian shot just 37 percent in the second half and finished 43 percent for the game. The Bulldogs’ bench outscored St. Mary’s 21-2 and went 10-of-12 at the free throw line, but the Belles held a 41-30 advantage in rebounding and were 28-for-35 at the stripe.

Five players scored in double figures for Adrian. Carlson led the way with 14 points, while Helldobler and Hafeli each added 13 points. Roose finished with 12 points and Kim Olech scored 11 points and grabbed eight rebounds. Helldobler handed out six assists for the Bulldogs.

St. Mary’s had four players hit double figures. Kammrath recorded a double-double, scoring 25 points and grabbing 14 rebounds, while Kessler also scored 25 points. Erin Newson added 17 points and six rebounds and Lipke finished with 13 points, six rebounds and seven assists for the Belles.

The Bulldogs will return to action Jan. 24 when they host Kalamazoo College. The Hornets defeated Adrian 80-77 in the teams’ first meeting Dec. 9 at the Anderson Athletic Center.