Posted: Dec 17, 2022
ALMA, Mich. - The Saint Mary's basketball team pulled within a point late in the contest at Alma, but the host Scots came away with an 84-75 decision on Saturday afternoon.
Julia Schutz put the Belles on the scoreboard with a layup two minutes into the game before connecting with Nikki Murphy for a layup on the next possession for a 4-3 lead. Elle Deardorff used a move to the basket to sink a layup to make it 6-3, but the Scots used a three-point play to knot the score at 6-6 before claiming an 8-6 advantage moments later. Anne Goralczyk hit a turnaround baseline jumper, and a scrappy play by Maddie Rzepka kept a possession alive as Nicole Connolly hit a layup on the left side of the floor to tie things up at 10-10. Rzepka followed up with a tough lean-in layup on the next Saint Mary's possession for a 12-10 advantage with three minutes remaining in the period. After Alma countered with three points, Rzepka drained a three-pointer as the lead changed hands yet again with the Belles up 15-13. A second-chance bucket by Connolly put the Belles up 17-15 late in the quarter, and a late turnover by the Scots ensured a Saint Mary's lead at the first break of the contest.
After an Alma three-pointer, Rzepka connected on a bucket from mid-range for a 19-18 lead. The Scots put the next six points on the scoreboard before another strong effort by Rzepka led to a layup to make it 24-21. The Scots made it 27-21, but Athena Samson sealed her defender and hit the layup before Rzepka used a step-through move to put the Belles back in business. Alma responded with a three-point play and another three-pointer before taking the largest lead of the game at that point with a layup for a 35-25 advantage. Both teams hit a scoreless stretch before Alma used yet another three-pointer - the Scots' seventh of the game - to go ahead 38-25. Saint Mary's built some late momentum as Maddie Rzepka banked in a layup before the buzzer to make it a 38-27 game heading into the halftime break.
Athena Samson got the Belles on the scoreboard in the third quarter, and Nikki Murphy found a cutting Jasmyne Townsend for a layup in transition to put the score at 42-31. Samson battled her way to an offensive rebound and put-back layup to cut the deficit to single digits at 42-33, but the Scots pushed their lead to 12 points on the next possession with a three-point play. Nicole Connolly converted both ends of a trip to the free throw line, and Townsend connected on a pull-up jumper from mid-range to make it 45-37 halfway through the quarter. The Belles pushed the tempo two possessions later with Rzepka connecting on a spinning layup to put the score at 48-39 as the Scots called a timeout. Saint Mary's went from defense to offense quickly again with Nikki Murphy slicing her way to a layup as the Belles continued to chip away at the deficit. Mary Kate Gareau drew a pair of free throws after an offensive board and converted both chances to pull Saint Mary's within 48-42 with under three minutes to go in the stanza. Alma put four points on the scoreboard, but Gareau hit a jumper in front of the free throw line as the score moved to 52-45. A Jasmyne Townsend layup made it a six-point game late in the third quarter, but the Scots got a fortunate bounce off the rim on a late three-pointer to hold a 56-47 lead going into the fourth period.
Samson started the offense in the fourth with a layup, and the Belles got four defensive stops on the other end to stay close. Julia Schutz backed her way down toward the post and hit a turn-around jumper to pull Saint Mary's within 56-51, and an Athena Samson layup made it a 58-53 score moments later. Another defensive stop led to a three-pointer by Jasmyne Townsend at the top of the key to pull the Belles within two points at 58-56. The Scots hit two free throws, but a Julia Schutz triple cut the deficit to one at 60-59 with 5:35 remaining. Alma tacked on a free throw and a three-pointer for a 64-59 lead, but Schutz drained another three-pointer as the Belles again made it a one-possession game at 64-62. The back-and-forth battle continued with an Alma three-pointer before the Scots sunk their 12th three of the contest to gain a 70-62 lead with 3:21 on the clock. After a timeout, Samson had a put-back bucket to make it a six-point game before pulling down a big defensive rebound. Rzepka kept the next possession alive with an offensive board and was fouled on the put-back attempt as the senior co-captain connected on both of her free throws. Julia Schutz came away with the defensive rebound and was fouled driving to the hoop on the next Saint Mary's chance, and the sophomore was true on both chances at the charity stripe to make it a 70-68 game with two minutes to go. The Scots rolled in a layup on their next possession, but a stop-and-pop jumper by Jasmyne Townsend was true to again pull the Belles within two points at 72-70. After two free throws by Alma, Samson again used a strong move in the paint to hit a layup to put the score at 74-72. The Scots again converted both chances at the free throw line. Rzepka hit the front end of a pair of free throws, and Samson cleaned up the offensive board and hit the putback to make it a one-point game at 76-75 with 41 seconds on the clock. The Scots, however, continued to hit their free throws as the Belles came up empty-handed on back-to-back possessions as Alma extended their lead to 82-75 with 23 seconds remaining as the comeback effort ran out of time in the 84-75 final.
Saint Mary's had a 46-43 advantage over Alma in total rebounds with a 14-9 edge in offensive rebounds. The Belles out-scored the Scots 42-24 in the paint while Alma hit 12 three-pointers to the four made by Saint Mary's. The Scots almost could not miss from the free throw line with a 24-of-27 (88.9 percent) effort at the charity stripe while the Belles were 9-of-13 (69.2 percent) at the line in the contest.
Athena Samson led the Belles with 16 points and 12 rebounds for her fifth double-double of the year. Maddie Rzepka posted 15 points, and Julia Schutz added 12 points and 10 rebounds for her fifth double-double of the season. Jasmyne Townsend chipped in 11 points and a team-best three assists, and Nicole Connolly tallied six points.
The Belles (4-7, 1-3 MIAA) have a break from conference play as they travel to Tennessee for a two-day tournament at the start of the week. Saint Mary's faces Franklin on Monday at 6:00 p.m. EST at Welch College.
After an Alma three-pointer, Rzepka connected on a bucket from mid-range for a 19-18 lead. The Scots put the next six points on the scoreboard before another strong effort by Rzepka led to a layup to make it 24-21. The Scots made it 27-21, but Athena Samson sealed her defender and hit the layup before Rzepka used a step-through move to put the Belles back in business. Alma responded with a three-point play and another three-pointer before taking the largest lead of the game at that point with a layup for a 35-25 advantage. Both teams hit a scoreless stretch before Alma used yet another three-pointer - the Scots' seventh of the game - to go ahead 38-25. Saint Mary's built some late momentum as Maddie Rzepka banked in a layup before the buzzer to make it a 38-27 game heading into the halftime break.
Athena Samson got the Belles on the scoreboard in the third quarter, and Nikki Murphy found a cutting Jasmyne Townsend for a layup in transition to put the score at 42-31. Samson battled her way to an offensive rebound and put-back layup to cut the deficit to single digits at 42-33, but the Scots pushed their lead to 12 points on the next possession with a three-point play. Nicole Connolly converted both ends of a trip to the free throw line, and Townsend connected on a pull-up jumper from mid-range to make it 45-37 halfway through the quarter. The Belles pushed the tempo two possessions later with Rzepka connecting on a spinning layup to put the score at 48-39 as the Scots called a timeout. Saint Mary's went from defense to offense quickly again with Nikki Murphy slicing her way to a layup as the Belles continued to chip away at the deficit. Mary Kate Gareau drew a pair of free throws after an offensive board and converted both chances to pull Saint Mary's within 48-42 with under three minutes to go in the stanza. Alma put four points on the scoreboard, but Gareau hit a jumper in front of the free throw line as the score moved to 52-45. A Jasmyne Townsend layup made it a six-point game late in the third quarter, but the Scots got a fortunate bounce off the rim on a late three-pointer to hold a 56-47 lead going into the fourth period.
Samson started the offense in the fourth with a layup, and the Belles got four defensive stops on the other end to stay close. Julia Schutz backed her way down toward the post and hit a turn-around jumper to pull Saint Mary's within 56-51, and an Athena Samson layup made it a 58-53 score moments later. Another defensive stop led to a three-pointer by Jasmyne Townsend at the top of the key to pull the Belles within two points at 58-56. The Scots hit two free throws, but a Julia Schutz triple cut the deficit to one at 60-59 with 5:35 remaining. Alma tacked on a free throw and a three-pointer for a 64-59 lead, but Schutz drained another three-pointer as the Belles again made it a one-possession game at 64-62. The back-and-forth battle continued with an Alma three-pointer before the Scots sunk their 12th three of the contest to gain a 70-62 lead with 3:21 on the clock. After a timeout, Samson had a put-back bucket to make it a six-point game before pulling down a big defensive rebound. Rzepka kept the next possession alive with an offensive board and was fouled on the put-back attempt as the senior co-captain connected on both of her free throws. Julia Schutz came away with the defensive rebound and was fouled driving to the hoop on the next Saint Mary's chance, and the sophomore was true on both chances at the charity stripe to make it a 70-68 game with two minutes to go. The Scots rolled in a layup on their next possession, but a stop-and-pop jumper by Jasmyne Townsend was true to again pull the Belles within two points at 72-70. After two free throws by Alma, Samson again used a strong move in the paint to hit a layup to put the score at 74-72. The Scots again converted both chances at the free throw line. Rzepka hit the front end of a pair of free throws, and Samson cleaned up the offensive board and hit the putback to make it a one-point game at 76-75 with 41 seconds on the clock. The Scots, however, continued to hit their free throws as the Belles came up empty-handed on back-to-back possessions as Alma extended their lead to 82-75 with 23 seconds remaining as the comeback effort ran out of time in the 84-75 final.
Saint Mary's had a 46-43 advantage over Alma in total rebounds with a 14-9 edge in offensive rebounds. The Belles out-scored the Scots 42-24 in the paint while Alma hit 12 three-pointers to the four made by Saint Mary's. The Scots almost could not miss from the free throw line with a 24-of-27 (88.9 percent) effort at the charity stripe while the Belles were 9-of-13 (69.2 percent) at the line in the contest.
Athena Samson led the Belles with 16 points and 12 rebounds for her fifth double-double of the year. Maddie Rzepka posted 15 points, and Julia Schutz added 12 points and 10 rebounds for her fifth double-double of the season. Jasmyne Townsend chipped in 11 points and a team-best three assists, and Nicole Connolly tallied six points.
The Belles (4-7, 1-3 MIAA) have a break from conference play as they travel to Tennessee for a two-day tournament at the start of the week. Saint Mary's faces Franklin on Monday at 6:00 p.m. EST at Welch College.