Belles Halted by Quakers

Box Score

• Erin Maloney paced the Belles with 15 points.
• Bern McGeever had seven points and three steals.
• Giavanna Paradiso scored six points and pulled down five rebounds.

CRESTVIEW HILLS, Ky. - The Saint Mary's basketball team came up short in a 78-50 final against Wilmington in the Julie Costello Memorial Classic at Thomas More College.

After the two teams traded buckets back and forth to open the contest, Wilmington went on a 7-0 run over a three-minute span to gain an 11-4 lead with 3:26 to play in the first quarter. Erin Maloney helped get the Belles back on track with a good jumper and a layup to make it a 13-8 score. Carin Kaminski got into the scoring column with a jump shot, and Maloney hit a free throw late in the quarter to make it 16-11 in favor of the Quakers at the first break.

Wilmington hit the first bucket of the second quarter, but Kelsey Trimble converted both ends of a trip to the charity stripe to keep the Belles within striking distance. The Quakers responded with a 12-0 run to gain a 30-13 lead as the Belles' six possessions over that span of time were unable to yield points despite good chances. Maloney and Bern McGeever ended the scoring drought in the quarter for Saint Mary's, but seven points by Wilmington in the final two minutes of the quarter pushed the score to 39-17 at halftime.

The Belles continued to battle after the break at the half as Saint Mary's out-scored Wilmington 18-16 in the third quarter. Giavanna Paradiso, Gabby Diamond, Caroline Macius, Trimble, McGeever, and Maloney all contributed points in a balanced offensive attack for the Belles in the period.

The Quakers began the fourth quarter with a 13-4 run for a 70-39 advantage. Megan Saunders, Gabby Crown, and McGeever each hit a three and Kaminski added a layup, but the Wilmington lead was too much to overcome in the contest.

The two teams combined to shoot just 15 free throws for the entire contest as neither side was whistled for more than 12 fouls over the 40 minutes of competition. The Quakers held a slight edge in offensive rebounds (15-14) and second-chance points (12-9). Wilmington tallied 42 points in the paint to the Belles' 18.

Erin Maloney paced the Belles with 15 points. Bern McGeever had seven points and three steals. Giavanna Paradiso scored six points and pulled down five rebounds. Megan Saunders added five points and a team-best three assists.

The Belles (1-3) face Heidelberg at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday at day two of the Julie Costello Memorial Classic in Kentucky.