SMC Basketball: Belles looking to sting Hornets once again
By HEATHER VAN HOEGARDEN and TREY WILLIAMS
Sports Writers
Kalamazoo will come into Wednesday's game against Saint Mary's looking for revenge against the underdog Belles.
Kalamazoo was left with a bitter taste in its mouth the last time it left South Bend, as they were upset by a fired-up Saint Mary's squad that was honoring its seniors in the regular season home finale.
"We know that every single conference game is important, but we need to win all our games at home," Bellina said. "The game against Kalamazoo is huge because we beat them last year on our Senior Day, and they will want revenge."
Kalamazoo, usually one of the perennial conference contenders, is having a down year. Despite starting 7-5, the Hornets are only 1-1 in the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association after losing to Alma.
Kalamazoo felt the effects of graduation, as they lost last year's MIAA Most Valuable Player Niki Grubb. However, she remains on the Kalamazoo bench as an assistant coach.
In her place, Amanda Weishuhn has stepped up nicely, scoring her 1,000th career point last week. Also, Lindsay Basler has played well, earning MIAA Player of the Week honors earlier this season.
However, the Hornets will be in for a battle against the well-balanced Belles. Saint Mary's is led by senior Shaun Russell (7 points per game in conference games), and sophomores Maureen Bush (12 points per game), and Katie Boyce (11 points per game). Sophomore Emily Creachbaum looks to be back to full strength after an illness limited her minutes the last two games.
"Going on break was good for our team," coach Suzanne Bellina said. "In our tournament, we saw some [National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics] teams, and they were of higher caliber. Playing against them has helped to prepare us for conference play."
The Belles look to improve upon their 5-8 overall record, and 1-1 record in conference play. They beat Olivet on the road, but lost to Hope at home on Jan. 11. The Belles place special emphasis on today's game, as they know that the Hornets will be hungry for a win.
In action over the winter break, Saint Mary's had a limited taste of holiday joy, as they struggled through five tough games including a tournament and two conference match ups.
The Belles started on a positive note at the Saint Xavier Tournament, with a 67-47 win over Calumet College of St. Joseph. They came on strong from the start, leading 36-15 at the end of the first half.
Part of St. Mary's impressive scoring was the result of contribution from all positions.
"Everybody on the team came ready to play from the start," said freshman guard Bridget Boyce. "Each player helped out in their own way, whether it was scoring, rebounds or defense."
Bridget Boyce was among the contributors, scoring 13 points and gathering four rebounds. Her scoring was second only to Creachbaum's 14 points. Freshman Anne Hogan strengthened the already relentless Belle game with 12 points and five rebounds.
Saint Mary's hit a kink in day two of the tournament with a 71-54 loss St. Xavier. The unbeatable scoring from the day before was stopped cold early in the first half, as Creachbaum was taken out of the game after suffering from heat exhaustion.
Bush filled the gap left by Creachbaum, putting up a team high 11 points and going 5-for-8 from the line.
"We played with same intensity," said Boyce "We just came up short."
A broken Belle team took another defeat to St. Ambrose 66-52 in the final day of the tournament.
The Belles ended the holidays with a win and a loss in conference play.
Saint Mary's used their versatility on the court to accumulate their signature numbers in a 64-53 win over Olivet College. The Belles then returned home, only to suffer a disheartening 90-73 loss to Hope College.
The Belles hope to strengthen their weak defense in practice to avoid another situation like that of the Hope College match in which their rebounds were outnumbered 14-47.
Saint Mary's and Kalamazoo tip off tonight at 7:30 p.m. in the Angela Athletic Facility.
All Sports Stories for Wednesday, January 15, 2003
