BERRIEN SPRINGS, Mich. – Today at the Johnson Gymnasium the Mount Mary University women's basketball team lost to host Andrews University by a final score of 59-55. The loss moves the Blue Angels to 4-10 on the year while giving the Cardinals a record of 4-13.
In a come-from-behind win for the Cardinals, the Blue Angels jumped out to a very quick start as they attacked on both ends of the court and earned an 11-0 run to begin things. The high pressure defense parlayed into multiple open looks for MMU.
Jess Runge (Sr./Freedom, Wis.) led the charge throughout the first quarter. In just ten minutes of action the senior guard scored 10 of the teams 19 points.
Beginning the second quarter with a 19-8 lead, the Blue Angels staved off the initial Cardinal comeback using the guile of their senior guard. When Cardinal guard Kia Williams started the second quarter off with 5-0 run, Runge hit a deep 3-point field goal to calm the nerves of her teammate and inflate the MMU lead again.
Williams continued to attack as she cut the Blue Angel lead to six points with 3 minutes left to go in the half, when Runge again knocked down a deep 3-pointer giving MMU a nine point cushion.
With time ticking away in the second quarter, the Cardinals hit two consecutive 3-point field goals and cut the MMU lead to three. Runge once more found an opening beyond the arc and promptly doubled up the lead. As MMU stopped the Cardinals on the following two possessions, Runge came back and knocked down her sixth 3-point shot of the half to extend the lead to 37-28.
The Cardinals came out of halftime and slowly ground away the MMU lead. After surrendering 37 first half points, Andrews held the Blue Angels to seven points in the third.
44-38 was the score to begin the final quarter. In a quick offensive surge for the Cardinals, AU went on a 8-4 run as Kia Williams knocked in a 3-point field goal to cut the MMU lead to two only three minutes into the frame.
Following another Williams's basket with the game tied at 48 with six minutes left, Runge hit deep two to retake the lead. Not long following Runge's bucket, the Cardinals answered back going on an 11-5 run to take the lead and the victory.
Runge led MMU with 24 points, tying her NCAA high in scoring, three steals while pulling down five rebounds. Runge finished the game going 6-of-6 from beyond the arc, all of which came in the first half.
Teammate Becky Onan (Jr./Grafton, Wis.) pitched in offensively with 14 points while also pulling down six rebounds and dishing out three assists.
"We knew what we needed to do to win, we just did not get it done this day," said Mount Mary Head Basketball Coach Marc Heidorf. "We are learning. This time of year is filled with mental and physical land mines. Today we stepped on one of each."
Following today's game, the Blue Angels will head back home briefly before leaving for Manitowoc, Wis. to take on the Silver Lake Lakers (14-7). The Blue Angels look to sweep the season series against the Lakers Wed. Feb. 1 at 7:00 pm. Stay tuned to mtmaryathletics.com for game previews and box scores.
