MILWAUKEE – The Mount Mary University basketball team lost to visiting Aurora University by a score of 81-46 tonight at the Bloechl Center. The Spartans (12-8, 8-7 NACC) transformed a 43-24 lead at halftime into the late-season victory against the Blue Angels (5-15).
Megan Johnson (Jr./Waukesha, Wis.) led the Blue Angels on the offensive side after she went 9-of-10 from the free throw line on her way to 12 points. The junior guard came off the bench and pulled in 5 rebounds.
Nyasia Hardy (Fr./Fort Wayne, Ind.) helped the Blue Angels with 10 points against the Spartans. Hardy also led her team with eight rebounds as she also came off the bench in tonight's contest.
The Spartans led off the game on 11-0 run as they held the Blue Angels off the scoreboard for five minutes. After the slow start, the Blue Angels came back to hit their outside shots as they finished the quarter down 22-8.
MMU responded in the second quarter with their highest offensive frame of the evening. The Blue Angels hit 9-of-12 from the free throw line in the second; Johnson went 4-of-4 from the charity-stripe in the same quarter. With an outside shot from Melissa Golo (So./Boise, Idaho) and five points from Erica Williams (Jr./Bloomington, Ill.) the Blue Angels added 16 points to their total. The Spartans held off the Blue Angels after hitting 8-of-21 from the field.
After the 43-24 lead at halftime, the two teams continued to trade baskets. The Spartans took a slight edge in the third as they outscore the Blue Angels 15-10. AU hit 4-of-5 from the free throw line in the third as they went into the fourth quarter with a 58-34 lead.
The Spartans had their biggest offensive quarter of the night in the fourth. AU went on to hit 9-of-16 from the field and 3-of-8 from outside the three-point line for a combined 23 points in the frame. MMU attacked the hoop and went 5-of-6 from the free throw line in the last quarter, but the Spartans held on for the 81-46 victory.
The Blue Angels will return to the road this weekend as they head to Hancock, Mich. to take on the Finlandia University Lions (9-11). Live video for the contest will be available for the contest on Sat. Feb. 8. Check out MtMaryAthletics.com for more details and links.
