Late Rally Comes Up Short for Belles Against Bulldogs

Box Score

• Gabby Diamond picked up her second double-double in as many contests after leading the Belles with 27 points and 14 rebounds.
• Erin Maloney added 11 points, six assists, and two steals.
• Delaney Rohlman chipped in seven points and six rebounds.

ADRIAN, Mich. - The Belles pulled within five points late in the fourth quarter, but the comeback ran out of time for the Saint Mary's basketball team in a 76-67 loss at Adrian on Saturday afternoon.

The host Bulldogs put five consecutive points on the scoreboard for a 7-2 lead 2:14 into the contest, but the Belles came right back with five points of their own to knot the score at 7-7. Gabby Diamond hit a layup off of a pass from Olivia Lathers. The senior then added another layup off of a dime from Erin Maloney and hit the layup for the three-point play for the early tie score. Adrian regained a lead at 11-7. Erin Maloney and Kelsey Trimble each hit a three-pointer to bookend another Diamond layup as the Belles turned the tables and went ahead 15-13 with 3:40 in the quarter. After an Adrian basket tied the game again, Caroline Macius regained the lead for Saint Mary's with 1:49 on the clock. The Bulldogs added a jumper and two free throws for a 19-17 edge, but Erin Maloney tied the game for the fifth time with a jumper to make it 19-19 at the first quarter break.

The teams traded the lead back and forth to open the second quarter. The Belles edged ahead at 31-27 after consecutive layups by Diamond. Adrian, however, responded with a 13-0 run to gain a 40-31 advantage with two minutes remaining before halftime. Giavanna Paradiso broke up the scoring drought for the Belles with a free throw on the final possession of the half for Saint Mary's to make it 40-32 at the break.

Diamond immediately cut the deficit for Saint Mary's even more to open the third quarter with a jump shot on the Belles' first possession of the period. The Bulldogs then put eight points in-a-row up for a 48-34 advantage with plenty of time to play in the quarter. Maloney hit a pair of free throws, and Bern McGeever quickly converted a three-point play to make it 48-39 with 7:12 on the clock. The teams traded buckets as the Belles kept well within striking distance, and both teams came up empty-handed over the final 1:40 of the quarter as the score stood at 57-47 with ten minutes to play.

Adrian was able to extend their lead to 65-50 three minutes into the fourth period, but the Belles continued to fight on the road. McGeever, Olivia Lathers, and Delaney Rohlman each put points on the scoreboard to make it a 65-55 score with 4:36 to play. The Bulldogs put up five more points to regain a 15-point lead, but the Belles went on a tear to get right back into the thick of things. Trimble sunk her second three-pointer of the game, and Diamond hit a jump shot to cut the deficit to 70-60 with 2:23 remaining. Erin Maloney kept the run going with a pair of free throws, and Delaney Rohlman drained a three-pointer to make it a 70-65 game with 1:17 on the clock. The Bulldogs hit both ends of a trip to the free throw line on an extended possession half a minute later. The Belles had several looks at the basket but were unable to cut any further into the Adrian lead. The Bulldogs added two more free throws for a nine-point lead at 74-65 with 14 seconds to play, and a Rohlman put-back layup was countered with two late free throws for the 76-67 final.

The Belles outscored the Bulldogs 23-19 on points off of turnovers and 19-14 on second-chance points. Saint Mary's committed a season-low 12 turnovers while Adrian gave the ball away 20 times. The Belles also out-rebounded the Bulldogs 51-50 with a 25-17 advantage in offensive rebounds.

Gabby Diamond picked up her second double-double in as many contests after leading the Belles with 27 points and 14 rebounds. Erin Maloney added 11 points, six assists, and two steals. Delaney Rohlman chipped in seven points and six rebounds. Kelsey Trimble scored a career-high six points.

The Belles (1-7, 0-3 MIAA) have a break from their mid-week schedule for finals and return to action on Saturday, December 16 when they host Alma at IU-South Bend's Student Activities Center at 3:00 p.m.