MILWAUKEE – In an Association of Division III Independents rivalry match Mount Mary University defeated Maranatha Baptist University 55-47 tonight at the Bloechl Center. The game is the second win in three games for the Blue Angels, and makes MMU 3-11 on the season.
In the first half the Blue Angels came out ready to play. Although the Sabercats got off to a quick 5-2 lead, MMU took it right back as they went up seven points. Following that, MMU was in front the entire half. The whole 20 minutes was team basketball to the max, every Blue Angel got off a shot and recorded at least one rebound. The cohesive start resulted in a 26-21 lead going into the locker rooms for halftime.
The second half saw a more accurate Blue Angels team from two point land. Shooting 24 percent in the first half, MMU shot 40 percent in the second and continued to stay on top throughout. A season low 10 turnovers for the Blue Angels went a long way in their defeat over the Sabercats.
Another strong performance for Chrisandra Freeman (Fr./Cedar Rapids, Iowa), who has picked up the offense and cleaned up the glass in her last few performances. Freeman has recorded double-doubles in her last two games coming into tonight. Against the Sabercats, Freeman dropped 22 points and grabbed 9 rebounds as she missed her fourth season double-double by an eyelash. As her averages continue to increase, the rookie seems more and more confident on the floor.
As his young team improves all around, a big worry is hanging onto an early lead with unexperienced underclassmen on the court. Tonight the youngsters showed Coach Marc Heidorf they are ready to make that step.
Coach Heidorf, "I am proud of the mental toughness exhibited by our players tonight. We identified three 'gut check' moments during the course of the contest where we needed to regroup or risk allowing the game to get away from us. I thought we rose to the occasion each of those times."
Following the contest tonight, the Blue Angels will get ready to play Silver Lake College on Thursday. The game is in Manitowoc, Wis. with tipoff at 7:00 pm.
