ADRIAN, Mich. - Calvin women's basketball claimed a hard-fought 55-52 victory at Adrian Saturday afternoon in its regular season finale. The Knights finish fourth in the final MIAA regular season standings with a 10-6 conference record and will host Alma in a First Round MIAA Tournament game Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Van Noord Arena. 

The game started out with both teams putting points up early and it was a close contest throughout the quarter. Calvin jumped out to an early lead of 10-7 with 7:46 left in the first quarter after senior Kara Minderhoud (Grand Rapids, MI / Covenant Christian) knocked down a three pointer. The Knights extend the lead with a layup by junior Rebecca Boeve (Grandville, MI / Covenant Christian) to six points with a score of 18-12. 

The Bulldogs didn't back down as they outscored the Knights 5-2 the rest of the quarter to trim Calvin's lead to three with a score of 20-17 after one quarter of play. Adrian took the momentum it had in the first and used it to outplay Calvin in the second quarter. The Knights were outscored 10-6 by the Bulldogs and struggled to get going on the offensive end. Adrian took a one-point lead after a three pointer with 2:29 left in the quarter and hung onto the lead until halftime with a score of 27-26. 

Calvin fought back into the early minutes of the third quarter to take a 30-28 lead after a made jumper by sophomore Gabby Timmer (Caledonia, MI / South Christian). Adrian kept the game close throughout the quarter as Calvin couldn't pull away. Gabby Timmer made two free throws to give the Knights a two-point lead with a score of 38-36 heading into the fourth quarter. 

The Knights started the fourth quarter on a 6-0 run to give them a 44-36 lead and it was capped off by a three pointer by sophomore Stephanie Coors (Evergreen, CO / Valor Christian). Adrian kept the pressure on Calvin and went on a 9-0 run with 5:36 left in the game to take a 45-44 lead. Sophomore Baylee GalanBrowne (Evergreen, CO / Evergreen) stepped up big for the Knights by hitting a jumper then came right down the floor after an Adrian turnover and hit a huge three pointer to give Calvin a 49-45 lead. 

It came down to the wire as Gabby Timmer made a layup with 1:46 left to give Calvin a 51-47 lead. Adrian went down the court quickly and made a jumper to make it a 51-49 game. On the following possession, Adrian converted a layup with a foul to take a 52-51 lead over the Knights with 42 seconds left. Calvin got the ball back and capitalized on the opportunity with freshmen Leah Harris (Frisco, TX / Lone Star) taking the ball to the basket on a driving layup,  giving Calvin a 53-52 with 21 seconds left. Adrian tried to counter Calvin's bucket but was denied with a block by Gabby Timmer with five seconds left. The Knights snared the rebound and freshman Sydney Cleary was fouled. Cleary helped seal the win with a pair of free throws as the Knights held on for the win. 

Gabby Timmer finished with a double-double with 13 points and 12 rebounds while Leah Harris finished with 12 points, 5 assists and 4 rebounds. Boeve had a strong game off the bench with nine points and six rebounds. The Knights shot 31.3% from the field and 23.1% from the three point line. Calvin also outrebounded Adrian 44-41 and had 15 team assists. 

COACHES COMMENT: "In a hard-fought game, our players had a choice and our team did not blink," said Calvin women's basketball head coach Mark Christner. "The execution in the last 45 seconds was great. Credit Adrian. They played really well. The urgency of this game will help us in the conference tournament. Getting to 16 wins and advancing to the conference tournament is a nice achievement for this group but now there are more opportunities ahead and our focus is on Wednesday night."

NEXT UP: Calvin (16-9) will host Alma (12-13) in the First Round of the MIAA Tournament on Wednesday, February 26, at 7:00 p.m.