SALEM, N.C. – The Mount Mary University basketball team lost 71-51 to Pine Manor College in the first round of the Great South Athletic Conference. That gives the Blue Angels an overall record of 5-15 for the 2015-16 campaign. Pine Manor will go on to the GSAC Semi-finals to play the No. 3 seed Salem College.
For MMU's first ever NCAA postseason conference tournament, the Blue Angels came out firing and grabbed an early lead. Becky Onan (So./Grafton, Wis.) started off the game by scoring her squad's first seven points, 13 of the teams 21 first quarter points.
After taking a 15-11 lead, the Gators finished the first quarter on an 18-6 run to take a 29-21 lead.
Once the second frame began, the Blue Angels forced the tough shot for the next 10 minutes straight. Forcing the Gators to shot 2-of-20 from the field, 0-of-8 from 3-point territory. MMU shot 6-of-12 to finish the half at a 36-36 tie.
Blue Angels Head Coach Marc Heidorf commented on his team's effort, "…they battled their tails off. Gave everything they had mentally and physically. That second quarter was a thing of beauty."
"Third quarter they switched up defenses." Coach Marc Heidorf added, "We reacted alright, just again hit a cold stretch on jumpers."
That cold streak was of the 2-of-13 variety while coming up empty at the free throw line, 0-3. On the other end the Gators scored 20 points while shooting 56.3 percent from the field while forcing seven MMU turnovers, four by steals.
The Blue Angels added 11 in the fourth while the Pine Manor put on 15 points to make it 71-51 at the horn.
Coach Heidorf went on, "They went zone and we just started hesitating a little and they pounced all over that. Pine Manor was very athletic."
Three Blue Angels scored in double-figures including Becky Onan who tallied her eighth double-double of the season with 15 points and 10 rebounds to add to her three assists and three blocks. Teammate Ariel Oviedo (Jr./Shawano, Wis.) finished with a double-double of her own with 12 points and 11 rebounds while spreading the ball around with a game high four assists.
Madeline Smith (Minnetonka, Minn.) pitched in with 12 points and eight reboounds to add to the Blue Angels totals.
As the Blue Angels end the 2015-16 season, they stand at 5-15 overall. Now the offseason begins, and the wait for the next MMU basketball season is underway. Pay close attention to mtmaryathletics.com for all the updates and conference awards to come.
