WATERTOWN, Wis. – There was a proverbial and literal changing of the guard Friday night as the Mount Mary University basketball team returned to action at Maranatha Baptist University. The new-look Blue Angels battled hard, but came up short 74-42 to the Crusaders, at MBU Gymnasium.
Several questions swirled around entering Friday's matchup, including how the inavailability of seniors Emily Barker (Oconomowoc, Wis.) and Ashley Leverenz (Mauston, Wis.) would affect the scoring efforts. The loss of sophomore point guard Yolanda Coleman (Wauwatosa, Wis.), who went down with an injury in MMU's game against Silver Lake, did not help the team's depth either. Add in a foursome of Angels who donned the Navy and Gold for the first time ever and Friday night was an interesting gauge for this young squad.
And while some of those questions are still in progress of being answered, new leaders have clearly emerged as the Blue Angels wind down their 2013-14 campaign.
Sophomore forward Donielle Yendriga (Conneaut, Ohio) tallied her first double-double of the season, leading Mount Mary with a season-high 22 points and 12 rebounds. She also added a team-high two blocks, and shot 58 percent from the floor (11-for-19).
Freshman swing guard Taylor Baumgart (Burlington, Wis.) added 13 points, seven rebounds and three assists.
Freshman Becca Heup (Random Lake, Wis.), suiting up for the first time this season, led the newcomers with five points, four rebounds, a steal and an assist.
The Blue Angels kept things relatively close midway through the first half after sacrificing a 16-2 led to start the game. MMU used strong inside play from Yendriga to close to within five at 16-11 before the Crusaders used a 21-10 run to take a 37-21 lead into the half.
The Crusaders and Angels mirrored first-half scoring efforts in the second stanza, doubling their 16-point lead behind a balanced attack.
The Angels were actually more efficient from the floor, outshooting Maranatha 41.3 percent to 39.2 percent—however, the Crusaders took a total of 79 shots compared to just 46 for Mount Mary.
The Blue Angels will have another 10-day break to retool their lineup, working in the new players before a rematch against Illinois Tech on Monday, February 10 in Chicago.
Mount Mary's lone victory of the season came over the Scarlet Hawks back on January 8 at the Bloechl Center.
