Chicago, IL- The Mount Mary Basketball team has consistently shot more foul shots than their opponents all season. This was the case again Monday evening at Illinois Tech, however the Blue Angels could not capitalize, missing 11 free throws which was largely the difference in a 70-58 loss. However, a bright spot was first year player Skye Giddings setting a new modern era record for single season points.
Giddings had 25 points on the evening, bringing her season total to 395 points. The previous single season mark was set by Jordan Osley in the 2009-10 season, Osley scored 385 points. Giddings' teammate, Deja Rivers, is also knocking on the door of the mark with 369 points. Both of their points per game averages rank them in the top five all time with games still to play in their debut seasons.
The Monday night game at Illinois Tech was a back and forth affair, the Scarlet Hawks started hot and took a 21-11 lead into the the 2nd quarter. MMU would not fade away and the half time score was 38-31 Illinois Tech. In a familiar pattern this season, Tech played 9 players in the first half to just 6 for MMU.
The Blue Angels came out firing in the 3rd quarter and tied the game on two separate occasions. The first coming when Brandi Mathias knocked in a contested 3 point shot on which she was fouled, this tied the game at 41. The game would again be tied at 44 but Mount Mary could not sustain the momentum. A combination of fatigue and missed opportunities from the foul line turned out to be the difference on the evening. MMU battled to the finish but had to foul down the stretch which contributed to the 70-58 final margin. Mount Mary had fewer turnovers and shot a remarkable 14 more free throws than their opponents, however MMU was just 14-25 from the line while Tech was 9-11.
Giddings scored 25 on her record setting night, Talesa Campbell scored 12 points and snared 7 rebounds, Deja Rivers added 10 points and 8 rebounds. Brandi Mathias played her best game as a Blue Angel, with 7 points and 10 rebounds in 25 minutes of action.
Mount Mary (6-16) will be back at the Bloechl Center Friday evening. The 6 pm contest vs. Finlandia will be Mount Mary's Play 4 Kay Pink Out contest. Play 4 Kay is a national charity honoring former Legendary NC State Coach Kay Yow. All fans are encouraged to wear pink and information will be shared throughout the evening regarding increasing awareness and funding for research and treatment for all women's cancers. All coverage can be found on www.mtmaryathletics.com
