Hornets sting Belles
by KERRY SMITH
Sports Editor
The story of Saint Mary's 64-48 loss to Kalamazoo read like a book on the Belles' faces Wednesday night at Angela Athletic Facility.
After hanging tough with the Hornets through the first half, the Belles jogged back to the locker room with determined stares, confident they could overcome a seven-point deficit to earn a much-needed conference win.
"In the locker room we talked about how we were doing well playing with them," Belle guard Katie Christiansen said. "We knew we had to keep our heads in the game and that they were beatable."
At 11-5, the Hornets are beatable, but they weren't Wednesday.
When the final buzzer sounded, a different Saint Mary's team walked off the floor, deflated by their sixth-straight loss.
Tough Hornet defense stung the Belles, as Saint Mary's had trouble holding on to the ball on offense, turning the ball over 24 times.
"We played really well defensively," Hornet head coach Michelle Fortier said. "It's always hard to play here. I'm satisfied with the way our team handled the situation."
But the win was anything but easy early on for the Hornets.
Unable to put significant distance on the scoreboard, the Hornets traded baskets with the Belles for most of the first half.
"This was the best Saint Mary's team I've played since I've been at Kalamazoo," Fortier said. "They're getting there. They're on their way."
With 12 first-half turnovers, Kalamazoo had trouble putting a rhythm to its offensive strategy.
"Turnovers were a big issue for us tonight," Fortier said. "We've struggled with that all season."
Seventeen minutes ticked off the clock before the Hornets could organize a run on the basket, pulling ahead by seven.
"We played tough, but they were a good team, Christiansen said. "We had spurts on and off but we just couldn't pull it out."
Coming out strong, Kalamazoo's defense forced Saint Mary's into 15 second-half turnovers, while its offense muscled its way into the lane and controlled the paint.
Senior forward MaryJane Valade dominated inside the key with 23 points and seven rebounds.
Teammate Amanda Weishuhn nipped at her heels, tallying 18 points and leading the team with 11 boards.
"They just went on a run [in the second half]," Christiansen said. "And that's really hard to stop."
Unlike Kalamazoo, Saint Mary's could not rely on a lopsided scoring effort since the loss of its leading scorer, Kristen Matha to a strained hip flexor.
Instead, the Belles looked for a more balanced attack. Christiansen led the team with 10 points, while Jaime Dineen, Leigh Ann Matesich and Katie Miller added six apiece.
Home court advantage has meant little to the two teams in recent meetings. Splitting two games last season, each squad earned a win on the road.
The Belles can only hope that trend continues when they get another shot at the Hornets on the court at Kalamazoo on Feb. 17.
All Sports Stories for Thursday, January 25, 2001
