Belles Toppled by No. 11 Knights
- Eleni Shea had her second double-double of the year with 18 points and 12 rebounds.
- Gabby Diamond added eight points and five rebounds.
- Erin Maloney and Maddie Kohler each chipped in six points.
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - The Saint Mary's basketball team came up short in a 91-45 final against eleventh-ranked Calvin in conference action on Saturday.
After the Knights came out and scored the first six points of the game, the Belles rattled off 10 of the next 13 points to take a 10-9 lead. Krista Knapke hit a pair of free throws, Eleni Shea hit a pair of buckets, and Maddie Kohler drained a three-pointer right in front of the Calvin bench to energize the Belles while forcing the Knights into calling a timeout.
Calvin, however, came out of that timeout break and closed out the first quarter on a 9-1 scoring spurt for an 18-11 advantage. That spurt carried over into the second period as the Knights mounted a 40-13 lead with 3:01 left on the clock before the halftime break.
The Belles continued to battle and put together a 9-0 run to make it 40-22 with 1:16 to go. Shea, Kelsey Ronan, and Gabby Diamond all chipped in on offense while Knapke and Erin Maloney corralled a steal each. Two three-pointers by the Knights late in the quarter made it 46-22 at the half.
Calvin held at least a 24-point lead throughout the final 20 minutes of play on their way to the 91-45 decision.
Saint Mary's hit a season-best 17 free throws and were one steal off their season-high mark with 10 against the Knights.
Eleni Shea led the Belles with 18 points, 12 rebounds, and five steals for her second double-double of the year. Gabby Diamond chipped in eight points and pulled down five rebounds. Erin Maloney scored six points and had a season-best seven rebounds. Maddie Kohler sunk a pair of three-pointers for six points.
The Belles (0-8, 0-2 MIAA) return home to take on Alma on Wednesday, December 9 at 7:30 p.m.
