Women's basketball team ends season with 74-57 loss at Hope

The Olivet College women's basketball team fell to #1 seed Hope College, 74-57, tonight in the first round of the 2009 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) Tournament at the DeVos Fieldhouse in Holland. With the win, the Flying Dutch advance to the semifinals on Thursday night against Albion College. With the loss, the Comets end their season with a 7-19 overall record.

The Comets hung tough with Hope, ranked No. 2 in the latest D3hoops.com Top 25 poll, for the first six minutes of the game when they led by two points, 12-10. The Flying Dutch rattled off seven straight points to take the lead for good. Their biggest lead of the first half would be the 12 point margin, 35-23, at halftime. In the second half, Hope stretched its lead to 23 points at the 8:31 mark. The closest Olivet would get the rest of the way was 15 points with 3:04 showing on the clock.

Playing in their final collegiate game, seniors Lauren Fishwick (Trenton) and Emily Brown (Muskegon/Mona Shores) led the Comets with 13 and 12 points, respectively. Seniors Sarah Mangold (Sterling Heights/Bishop Foley) and Vallen VanZyll (Lowell) each scored eight. Brown and junior Gabrielle Federau (Okemos) grabbed six rebounds apiece.

For the Flying Dutch, Carrie Snikkers was the only player in double figures, as she had 14 points. Jenny Cowen scored nine, while Courtney Knox had eight. Knox and Snikkers each pulled down eight rebounds.