KALAMAZOO, Mich. - Eleven different players scored points for Saint Mary's and the Belles never trailed in a 65-42 conference win at Kalamazoo on Monday night.

 

The Belles got on the scoreboard first with a pair of free throws by Nikki Murphy and then regained the lead a short while later on a three-point play by Maddie Rzepka. That and-one opportunity ignited a 14-0 run for Saint Mary's over the next five minutes of action. Rzepka added eight more points, Julia Schutz taliled a free throw, and Morgan Flynn connected on a mid-range jumper to give the Belles a 16-2 advantage with under three minutes remaining in the quarter. The Hornets twice cut their deficit to 11, but Rzepka and Anne Goralczyk each hit a bucket in response to keep the lead in the double digits for Saint Mary's as the Belles took a 21-8 lead at the quarter break.

 

Kalamazoo countered with an 11-0 run to open the second period as the Hornets edged within 21-19 with 6:50 on the clock. Jasmyne Townsend battled underneath for an offensive rebound and scored the put-back jumper on the next Saint Mary's possession. Kalamazoo used a free throw and a layup a while later to make it a 23-22 game midway through the period, but Julia Schutz responded with a big three-pointer from the right side of the floor to help the Belles maintain the lead. Bella Dugas added a layup on a fastbreak opportunity, and a hesitation jump shot by Dugas gave the Belles a 30-22 advantage with under two minutes to go until halftime. Neither side could get a shot to fall over that final 1:53 of play, and Saint Mary's took the eight-point lead to the halftime break.

 

Anne Goralczyk had a pair of jump shots on either side of a Bella Dugas free throw to open the third quarter as the Belles extended their lead back to double-digits. The Hornets responded with the next four points, but Christina Shadid added a jumper of her own. After another Kalamazoo basket, Lauren Gumma gave the Belles a big burst of momentum as the freshman drained a three-pointer for a 40-28 lead with 3:30 on the clock. Julia Schutz added a layup on the next Saint Mary's possession, but the Hornets gained some late-quarter energy with six consecutive points to make it a 42-34 game with under a minute to go in the stanza. Julia Schutz, however, powered her way to another layup as the Belles carried a 44-34 lead into the final period.

 

Nikki Murphy opened the quarter with a pair of free throws, and a Maddie Rzepka three-pointer right in front of the Saint Mary's bench gave the Belles a 49-36 advantage less than two minutes into the period. A Bella Dugas offensive rebound and put-back on the next possession for the Belles ignited a 14-0 run as the Belles never looked back. Rzepka, Schutz, and Nyah Porter all tallied points over that run as Saint Mary's built a 63-37 advantage with two minutes to go. Alexandria Swift capped off the scoring with a pair of free throws as the Belles captured the 65-42 decision.

 

Maddie Rzepka led all players with a career-high 20 points as the junior just missed out on a double-double with nine rebounds while tallying four assists. Julia Schutz added 13 points and seven rebounds, and Anne Goralczyk posted eight points and eight rebounds. Bella Dugas scored seven points and pulled down six boards, and Nikki Murphy added six rebounds with four points. Eleven different players scored points in the win for the Belles.

 

The Belles (4-14, 3-6 MIAA) are on the road for the third-consecutive time as the team travels to Alma on Wednesday for a 5:30 p.m. conference game.