SMC Basketball: Belles battle Britons
By TREY WILLIAMS
Sports Writer
The Belles have had their fair share of second chances.
However, with their losing streak climbing to nine with Saturday's loss to Kalamazoo, guaranteeing their last place MIAA ranking for the third straight week, it's evident that Saint Mary's is having a little trouble cashing in on its opportunities.
Belles coach Suzanne Bellina and her squad will take to the court at home tonight with yet another chance at victory as they challenge third-ranked Albion College (13-8, 6-4 in the MIAA).
The Belles (5-16, 1-9 in the MIAA) have searched for a way of regaining that certain something that pushed their game along at the beginning the season, focusing on correcting their weak points — rebounding and capitalizing on their opponent's mistakes.
Unfortunately, these adjustments have minimal effect for a team that has lost its star player.
Sophomore guard Emily Creachbaum, who accounts for 22 percent of the Belles' season points, has watched from the bench for the past three games after spraining her ankle in the opening minutes against Olivet Feb. 1.
The loss has already taken its toll on the Belles, and their numbers have taken a dramatic dive. While the Belles have been consistent shooters with scoring averages usually around 40 percent, these stats dropped following Creachbaum's injury, falling as low as 21 percent in a game against Hope College.
Saint Mary's bench will need to be ready to step up against the Briton with leading scorers such as Bridget Boyce and Anne Hogan who average 7.4 and 7.3 points per game, respectively.
"At this point, I think we just have to throw everything behind us," Creahcbaum said. "Everyone on the team is focused on the game at hand and nothing more."
The Belles need wins against their next three conference foes for a desirable MIAA seed going into the conference tournament.
All Sports Stories for Wednesday, February 12, 2003
