OLIVET, Mich. - Today the Calvin women's basketball team braved the winter weather as it traveled to Olivet to take on the Comets in an MIAA matchup. After a dominant performance the Knights emerged with a 72-50 victory as they extended their win streak to seven.
After today's game the Knights improve to 12-5 overall with a 6-2 MIAA record. The Comets fall to 6-10 overall and 3-4 in MIAA play.
As the first quarter got underway, the two teams took turns exchanging baskets on the offensive end of the floor. Three minutes into the game Allie Mayes (East Lansing, Mich./East Lansing) found a wide open Sophie Sensenig (Grayslake, Ill./Westlake Christian) on the left wing behind the arc to give the Knights the lead and momentum. Calvin finished out the quarter by going on an 11-0 run to gain a 22-12 lead after the first ten minutes.
In the second quarter Olivet found its footing as it began to close the gap. In the first quarter, the Comets shot 31.3 percent from the field before improving to 37 percent in the second and cut Calvin's lead down to five points heading into the half.
The Knights shot 33 percent from the field with sophomore RyAnn Rohrer (Ludington, Mich./Ludington) recording ten points while freshman Anna Fernandez (Plymouth, Mich./Plymouth Christian Academy) had seven points.
Calvin came out strong in the second half when Sami DeKuiper (Rockford, Mich./Rockford) hit a three-pointer from the top of the key before Katelyn LaRue (Grand Rapids, Mich./Grand Rapids Christian) hit a three-pointer of her own on the next possession. The Knights continued to make connections on offense as they had extended their lead to 50-36 at the end of the third quarter.
In the fourth quarter the Knights continued to assert their dominance and walked away with a 72-50 win. Calvin recorded a 41.0 shooting percentage while also posting a 31.3 three point percentage. On defense, the Knights forced 21 turnovers which they turned into a total of 22 points. They dominated in the paint by outsourcing the Comets 32-18 while Calvin's bench continued to make a significant impact by contributing 31 points.
Rohrer finished as Calvin's leading scorer with 14 points while DeKuiper, Sensenig, and Fernandez all had 9 points. LaRue chipped in 7 points with Valerie Dirkse (Vienna, Va./Marshall) and Chloe Wiegers (Lake Orion, Mich./Lake Orion) both had 6 points. Mayes and Hannah Sall (Grand Rapids, Mich./Grand Rapids Christian) had 5 points while Lauren Vanderstelt (Plainwell, Mich./Plainwell) closed out the scoring with 2 points.
COACHES COMMENT: "Quality win for our team today," said head coach Mark Christner. "It's not easy on the road in our league. This may have been one of the better 40 minute games we've played this year. The balance of this group is its strength. Now at 6-2 through the first round, we'll rest up a bit, work to improve, and get ready to play next Saturday."
UP NEXT: The Knights are back in action on Saturday, January 20th when they welcome the Belles of Saint Mary's to Van Noord Arena for a 1 p.m. tipoff.
