SMC Basketball: Belles look to end losing streak
By TREY WILLIAMS
Sports Writer
Saint Mary's basketball had hopes last week, coming off of a two-game road campaign that ended unsuccessfully, to say the least. However, the results of their final home series thus far have come significantly short of expectations.
The Belles (5-18) now have one last chance to give their home crowd a taste of victory. A win in tonight's match against Adrian College (10-13) would not only snap a long standing losing streak for Saint Mary's but would also be a beacon of hope for salvaging their wounded MIAA reputation going into next week's conference tournament.
The seventh ranked Bulldogs currently tower over the Belles in MIAA rankings with a 3-9 record despite giving up their last five games. A win by the Belles, who currently stand 1-11 in the MIAA, presents the possibility of boosting the Belles above the Bulldogs before tournament play begins.
"To get a win would be a huge boost for the team," said guard Bridget Boyce "Not only would it help us going into the tournament, but it would be a great way for the seniors to end their last home game."
Though the Belles only have two seniors in their arsenal, emotions will run high for the younger ladies as well.
"Our team has grown really close in just the past few weeks," said Boyce "Even when we're losing, we push each other, pick each other up, and step out there and give it our best."
The Belles have currently returned to their best with the return of strong scorer Emily Creachbaum. Creachbaum made her revival during Saturday's game against Calvin College, shooting as if she never left. Not only did she hit 38 percent of her shots — the same average she posted during her last game two weeks ago — but Creachbaum also capitalized on 67 percent of 3-pointers.
In addition to Creachbaum's return, the Belles will also rely on the strength of players who stepped up during her absence, including center Kristen Matha who accumulated 12 rebounds against Calvin and 15 last week against Albion.
"We're going to throw a lot of different defenses at [Adrian] from what we tried in our last game against them," said Boyce "I think we're a lot stronger than we were then so we just have to bring it all together and play as a team."
All Sports Stories for Wednesday, February 19, 2003
