BRUSWICK, Maine - Today the Calvin women's basketball team kicked off its time at the Bowdoin Coastal Classic when it matched up against the Jumbos of Tufts University. After a competitive first half, the Knights shot the lights out in the second half to pick up the 71-62 win.
 
Both teams came out hot to start the game as a high scoring first quarter saw three lead changes and seven ties. Junior RyAnn Rohrer (Ludington, Mich./Ludington) put up six points in the first ten minutes while fellow junior Lydia Sall (Grand Rapids, Mich./Grand Rapids Christian) chipped in two points and two blocks.
 
Trailing 17-21, the Knights headed into the second quarter where Tufts converted its first two baskets to extend its lead to eight points. Looking to dig itself out of the hole, Calvin went to work and went on a 14-4 scoring run. Hannah Sall (Grand Rapids, Mich./Grand Rapids Christian) contributed a bucket and a free throw during the Knights offensive burst while junior Katelyn LaRue (Grand Rapids, Mich./Grand Rapids Christian) gave a boost when she knocked down Calvin's first three-pointer of the game.
 
With four minutes left in the half, Chloe Wiegers (Lake Orion, Mich./Lake Orion) rattled home a layup through contact before burring the free throw to complete the three-point play and even the score at 30-30. Two minutes later, junior Ashley Raredon (Caledonia, Mich./South Christian) snagged an offensive rebound before being fouled on the way down to be sent to the charity stripe. After missing the first, Raredon bounced back and sank her second free throw to give Calvin the 31-30 lead, their first lead since four minutes left in the first quarter. However, as time ran down in the first half, Tufts battled back and headed into halftime with a slim 33-32 lead over the Knights.
 
In the second half, the Knights came alive on the offensive end and took over the game as junior Anna Fernandez (Plymouth, Mich./Plymouth Christian Academy) found her shooting rhythm. After being held to just six points in the first half, Fernandez exploded for seventeen in the second including three three-pointers in the fourth quarter. Sophomore Gabby Halliwill (Charlotte, Mich./Lansing Catholic) chipped in two buckets from behind the arc and Jamie Custer (Galena, Ohio/Worthington Christian) added one as the Knights shot 38 percent from three-point range in the second half. 
 
The Knights impressive 50.0 shooting percentage in the second half allowed them to outscore the Jumbos 39-29 and pick up the 71-62 victory. Calvin outrebounded Tufts 37-27 while also outscoring them in the paint 36-26. Fernandez finished as the Knights' leading scorer with twenty-three points while Wiegers finished with eleven points, three assists, and five rebounds. Rohrer finished with nine points and seven rebounds while Raredon and Lydia Sall each snagged six rebounds apiece. 
 
COACHES COMMENTS: "Great win for us!" said head coach Mark Christner. "Tufts is a high-quality team that we guarded at a very high level for three quarters. Offensively we had great pace balance. Now we'll rest for a stiff challenge tomorrow!"
 
UP NEXT: The Knights will be back in action tomorrow Tuesday, December 30th when they wrapped up their showing at the Bowdoin Coastal Classic against host Bowdoin at 2 PM.