The Alma College Women's Basketball team hit the road on Saturday and came home with a 61-56 MIAA victory over Kalamazoo College, earning the team's first victory of the season. This was coupled with the first win of the year for the Men's team yesterday at Oberlin College, giving the Scots a very good weekend of hoops.
The Scots used a balanced attack to defeat the Hornets and improved its 2008-09 season record to 1-6 and 1-1 in the MIAA. Alma shot a season-high (for a half) 52% in the first frame and grabbed a 35-34 leading heading into the lockerroom. The Hornets hung tough and also shot 52% in a half that saw the Scots lead the entire way except for a 4-2 Kalamazoo lead in the second minute of the game.

In a back and forth second half, Alma never trailed by more than a point (three separate times) and finished with a 26-22 overall advantage in the final 20 minutes of action. The largest point differential in the competitive league game was Alma's eight-point advantage in the first half.

Leading the way for the Scots in a true team victory was junior forward Meagan Hoblet (Cadillac, MI), who finished with 12 points and ten rebounds, while both junior forward Kathryn Bigelow (Alma, MI) and sophomore forward Sydney Beckwith (Beal City, MI) chipped in with ten points a piece. Bigelow also added seven rebounds while junior guard Lacey Best-Rowden (Lansing, MI) led Alma with seven assists and also pulled down five rebounds.

Senior guard Heather Keenan (Charlotte, MI) played 18 minutes and contributed six points, and put the nails in the coffin for Alma's first victory when she calmly drained two free throws with four seconds remaining in the game to solidify the final 61-56 margin.

The Scots Women are now off until December 29, when they will travel to Wittenberg, Ohio, to particpate in a two-day holiday tournament. Alma's next MIAA contest will be January 3, when the Scots host Calvin College for a 3:00 p.m. tilt at Cappaert Gymnasium.