Belles Comeback Clipped by Ravens

Box Score

  • Gabby Diamond led the Belles with a career-high 26 points and 10 rebounds.
  • Kelsey Ronan added 11 points.
  • Aspen Davis (10 points) and Gabby Crown (six points) also had career-highs.

ANDERSON, Ind. - The Saint Mary's basketball team pulled within a point of host Anderson late in the game, but the Ravens held off the Belles for an 82-72 decision on Tuesday night.

The Belles jumped out to a quick 6-0 lead through the opening 2:37 of action as Gabby Diamond accounted for the team's first three buckets of the game. The Ravens responded with a 13-0 run to claim a seven-point lead, but Gabby Crown sunk a three-pointer to keep things close. With Anderson holding a 16-9 lead a short while later, the Belles rattled off seven consecutive points to knot the score at 16-16 with 1:28 remaining in the first quarter. A free throw followed by a pair of layups extended the Ravens' lead to five points late. Gabby Diamond, however, converted both ends of a trip to the free throw line with under 20 seconds left on the clock to make it a 21-18 at the first break.

The teams traded blows back and forth to open the second quarter until Anderson used a 13-1 run to pull ahead 38-26 midway through the stanza. Again, the Belles fought their way back to cut the deficit to seven points on a three-point play by Kelsey Ronan. The Ravens, however, closed out the final 3:50 with an 8-2 spurt to take a 48-35 lead into the half.

Anderson pushed their lead to 14 points in the third quarter, but the Belles' resolve continued to be on display. A layup by Diamond followed by a three-pointer by Aspen Davis cut the deficit in half at 51-44. Diamond added a pair of free throws to make it 51-46 with just under two minutes left in the quarter. The Ravens broke up the run with a second-chance bucket, but Davis drained another three-pointer to make it a 53-49 score. Anderson regained a double-digit lead late in the quarter before Gabby Crown and Erin Maloney combined for three points late to continue to keep Saint Mary's in the game as the Belles trailed 61-53 heading into the final quarter.

Kelsey Ronan breathed life into the Belles' comeback efforts to open the fourth quarter with two free throws and a layup to pull Saint Mary's within five points at 62-57 as the Ravens called a timeout. Delaney Rohlman then delivered a response layup and converted a three-point play to make it 66-62 with five minutes still remaining. Aspen Davis cut the Ravens' lead to three on the next possession with a jump shot, and Ronan made it a 68-66 game with 3:47 with a layup as the Belles continued to fight. Anderson regained some momentum with two free throws and a three-pointer, but Maloney and Ally Steve sunk consecutive three-pointers at the other end to make it a 73-72 game with 2:07 remaining. Unfortunately for Saint Mary's, the Belles could not overtake the Ravens despite a handful of good looks at the basket. Anderson connected on seven of their final eight free throws and added a layup while Saint Mary's was unable to get a shot to fall during that final stretch as the Ravens took the 82-72 final.

The Ravens out-rebounded the Belles by a 50-38 margin for the contest. Anderson also posted a 25-of-35 effort from the free throw line to Saint Mary's 13-of-15 night at the charity stripe.

Gabby Diamond led all players with a new career-high 26 points - including a 6-of-6 effort from the free throw line - while collecting her second double-double of the year after pulling down 10 rebounds. Kelsey Ronan chipped in 11 points and four rebounds, and Aspen Davis posted a new career-high 10 points. Gabby Crown joined in with a new career-best six points, and Erin Maloney posted six points and six assists.

The Belles (1-3) return home to host Benedictine on Wednesday, November 30 at 6:30 p.m.

Back to Stories