GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - Today the No. 25 ranked Calvin women's basketball team fell to the Maroon of Chicago in an overtime thriller and moved to an overall record of 4-4. 
 
The Maroons made a statement early as they started the game on a 10-3 run with a three pointer from senior Anna Fernandez (Plymouth, Mich./Plymouth Christian Academy) being the Knights only bucket in the first five minutes of the game. RyAnn Rohrer (Ludington, Mich./Ludington) chipped in a bucket down low while Katelyn LaRue (Grand Rapids, Mich./Grand Rapids Christian) knocked down a pair of free throws later in the quarter but at the end of the first ten minutes of play Chicago led Calvin 17-10.
 
Looking to fight back, the Knights significantly improved their shooting percentage in the second quarter as they shot an impressive 58.3 percent from the field. Junior Hannah Sall (Grand Rapids, Mich./Grand Rapids Christian) got in on the scoring action while Fernandez and Roher added to their totals. However, despite the shooting improvement the Maroons continued to produce on offense and the Knights trailed 25-31 at the half.
 
As the second half got underway the Knights started to dig themselves out of the hole and find their offensive rhythm. Just two minutes in, back-to-back threes from LaRue and Fernandez gave Calvin a boost before a layup from Hannah Sall cut the Chicago lead down to just three. On the other end of the floor, the Maroons responded with a three of their own and at the third quarter media break Chicago held onto a slim six-point lead.
 
Coming out of the timeout, the Knights seemed to find another gear as they quickly found Rohrer down low for an easy bucket to set the tone. Calvin kept the momentum on their side as a jumper from Fernandez followed by a steal and fast break layup by Lydia Sall (Grand Rapids, Mich./Grand Rapids Christian) pulled the Knights even. On the next possession, Fernandez continued to shine as she drove past her defender and took the ball to the basket to give Calvin their first lead of the game. 
 
For the final two minutes of the quarter both teams worked to stay in command as they would find themselves tied up two more times before a pair of free throws from the Maroons gave Chicago a one-point advantage with thirty seconds left. Needing a basket, the Knights turned to none other than Fernandez who nailed a pull up jumper just as the buzzer sounded to put Calvin back in control and extend her total to sixteen points on the night.
 
In the fourth quarter, both teams battled for momentum as they traded baskets down the stretch. Chicago, who shot an impressive 40 percent from behind the arc in the fourth, found themselves with a five-point advantage late in the game. With 1:40 left on the clock, the Knights found a spark when Wiegers shed her defender and knocked down a shot from beyond the three-point line to make it a two-point game. On the other end of the floor, Calvin forced a turnover and put the ball back in the hands of Wiegers who found Hannah Sall down low to tie the score at 61-61 with just thirty seconds left on the clock. With time winding down, the Knights kept up their intensity on defense and did not allow Chicago a scoring opportunity and the game headed into overtime.
With an extra five minutes put on the clock, the teams spent the first few possessions exchanging baskets and the lead. However, with just under three minutes to play, the Maroon took control and overpowered the Knights by outscoring them 12-4 and walking away with the 73-65 victory.
 
Fernandez finished as the Knights leading scorer with sixteen points while Hannah Sall was close behind with fourteen points and seven rebounds. LaRue chipped in fourteen points while Wiegers finished with nine points.
 
COACHES COMMENTS: "That game felt like an NCAA tournament game," said head coach Mark Christner. "Congrats to Chicago. Every time we pushed they answered. It's a type of game that will help us both in the long run. We asked our group to get to 3-1 over the last two weeks and we did. We need to rest and get ready for Albion next week."
 
UP NEXT: The Knights will be back in action on Friday, December 12th when they welcome the Britons of Albion to Van Noord Arena for a 6 PM matchup.