The Alma Women's Basketball team hosted Rochester College on Saturday afternoon in a non-league contest and came away with a 71-64 victory, snapping a four-game losing streak. The win, at Cappaert Gymnasium, improved the Scots to 5-11 this season and the squad continues MIAA play on Wednesday when they host Hope College.
The key to the Scots' triumph against the Warriors was a fast start as the team jumped out to a 6-0 lead and never trailed, even leading by 20 points late in the second half. Rochester played hard and had several runs, but the Scots were able to withstand each of them and answer with runs of their own.
Alma led 43-27 after the first 20 minutes of the contest as the Scots shot 46% from the field, while Rochester hit on 36% of their tries. In the half, Alma had 13 assists to just two turnovers and outrebounded the Warriors by a 25-17 margin. Sr. G Heather Keenan (Charlotte, MI/Charlotte) and Jr. F Meagan Hoblet (Cadillac, MI/Cadillac) led the way by scoring 28 of the team's 43 points, with 15 and 13 respectively.
Despite leading the way the entire game, Rochester twice cut the lead to one point, the last time being at 22-21 with 7:37 left in the first half. Keenan hit a three-point jumper 18 seconds later and the Scots never led by less than four points the remainder of the contest.
In the final frame, Alma maintained a steady lead through most of it, never leading by less than double figures until a three-pointer by Rochester with four seconds left in the game made the final score 71-64. After the Warriors cut the lead to 51-41 at the 13:05 mark, the Scots embarked on a 15-5 run, capped by a three-pointer by Jr. G Lacey Best-Rowden (Lansing, MI/Waverly), to make the score 66-46 with 5:03 left in the game.
For the game, Alma outrebounded the Warriors by a 44-30 margin, including 14 offensive boards and had 22 assists to just 11 turnovers, a season low. Defensively, the Scots had seven blocked shots and five steals on the afternoon. One of the reasons the Warriors hung in the game was by outscoring the Scots 15-5 from the free-throw line.
Keenan and Hoblet finished as Alma's high scorers with 17 a piece, while Fr. C Aubrey Maxa (Saginaw, MI/Swan Valley) was next with 10 points in 12 points, including two big three-pointers. Jr. F Kathryn Bigelow (Alma, MI/Alma) paced the Scots with 10 rebounds, while Hoblet had nine and Keenan five on the day. Jr. G Lauren Hasler (Mt. Pleasant, MI/Sacred Heart) led the Scots with five assists and Best-Rowden also added four helpers.
Wednesday's game versus the Flying Dutch is scheduled for a 6:00 p.m. start, followed by a Men's game against Albion at 8:00 p.m.
