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The University of Olivet

Women’s basketball team loses to No. 12/14 Hope, 66-52

The Olivet College women’s basketball team dropped a 66-52 decision to MIAA co-leader Hope College tonight at The Cutler Event Center in Olivet.

Box Score
Women’s basketball team loses to No. 12/14 Hope, 66-52
January 4, 2012

OLIVET, Mich. – The Olivet College women's basketball team dropped a 66-52 decision to Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) co-leader Hope College tonight at The Cutler Event Center in Olivet. Hope entered the game ranked No. 12 in the Women's Basketball Coaches Association poll and No. 14 in the D3hoops.com Top 25 poll.

The first 11 minutes and 10 seconds of the game was a back-and-forth affair, with three tied scores and three lead changes. The Flying Dutch took the lead for good on back-to-back 3-pointers. After they stretched their lead to double figures for the first time, 31-20, on two foul shots, the Comets outscored Hope, 9-2, over the final 1:39 of the half to trail by just six points at the intermission.

Olivet cut its deficit down to five points, 37-32, with 17 minutes left when sophomore Heather Lauwers (Ortonville/Brandon) made a free throw to complete an old-fashioned 3-point play. Hope built its lead to 16 points, 55-39, with 8:10 remaining in the game. The Comets then went on an 8-1 run to make the score 56-47 and they would not get any closer for the rest of the game.

For the game, Olivet shot 35.1 percent (20-of-57), while the Flying Dutch shot 36.8 percent (21-of-57). The difference in the game was Hope made five more 3-pointers, 7-2, and seven more free throws, 17-10, than the Comets.

Olivet finished the game with a balanced scoring attack. Junior Mellissa Bageris (Milford) came off the bench to score a team-leading 12 points, while junior SoQuitta DeShazor (Flint/Hamady) had 10. Junior Brittany Brown (Inkster/John Glenn) was next with nine, followed by junior Sydney Radde (Stevensville/Lakeshore) with eight. Radde also pulled down a team-leading seven rebounds. Sophomore Kelsey Campbell (Olivet) recorded eight assists and three steals.

Courtney Kust paced the Flying Dutch with 20 points. Rebekah Llorens posted a double-double, 13 points and game-high 12 rebounds, while Liz Ellis scored 10.

The Comets (2-11, 0-4 MIAA) will continue MIAA play Saturday when they play a 3 p.m. game at Saint Mary's (Ind.) College.