Belles snap losing streak with 75-61 win
By NOAH AMSTADTER
Assistant Sports Editor
In the minutes before tip-off Saturday at the Angela Athletic Facility, John Fogerty's song "Center Field" blasted over the loudspeaker. Apparently Saint Mary's basketball coach Suzanne Smith took note of the song's lyrics, "Put me in coach, I'm ready to play," as 11 players scored to lead the Belles to a 75-61 victory over Olivet College.
Anne Blair led the way with 12 second-half points as the Belles erased a 33-30 halftime deficit. Blair led the team with 14 points and five rebounds in only 17 minutes. She was a perfect five-for-five from the field and four-of-four from the free-throw line.
Blair credited her team following the victory — Saint Mary's first following 10 consecutive losses since Jan. 3.
"Since we've been kind of down lately, this feels great. It's like the definition of team. We all played with each other," Blair said. "Everybody contributed. It just feels great."
Saint Mary's made seven of 11 three-point attempts for the game — led by Jaime Dineen's three treys.
"She told me yesterday that she loves when teams play zone," Belles' coach Suzanne Smith said of Dineen. "We knew going into today that that's something we'd probably see. She prepared herself pretty well for it."
Freshman point guard Katie Miller also had a strong game for the Belles. After Blair went out with her fourth foul with less than 10 minutes remaining in the game, Miller led the offense with a key three-pointer and five assists.
"She's just so poised out on the court," Smith said. "She wants the ball and she wants to run the show. That's great to see, especially as a freshman."
Kristen Matha, Saint Mary's leading rebounder and the head of their team, came off the bench to play 11 minutes in the first half. After contributing two points, three rebounds, and three blocked shots, Matha left the game when she slammed her head on the court diving for a loose ball.
The crash aggravated a concussion Matha suffered a week ago. Matha is expected to miss the team's next two games.
In Matha's absence, junior Kelly Roberts stepped up her play, scoring 12 points and grabbing three rebounds in a team-high 32 minutes.
"Kelly really stepped up and took her spot and performed," Smith said.
The Belles built a 23-17 lead midway through the first half before allowing Olivet to go on a 14-2 run. Shaun Russell hit a three-pointer at the buzzer to pull the Belles within 33-30.
Olivet forward Louisa Grill scored 14 of her game-high 25 points in the opening half, providing nearly half of her team's offense. Grill also finished with a game-high 15 rebounds.
The Comets were playing without guard Lindsey Brunworth, the team's second leading scorer, who was attending her grandmother's funeral.
When Grill went out with a knee injury midway through the second half, the Olivet offense fell apart.
"I have two sophomores leading us in offense," said Olivet coach Audrey Seymour. "When those two kids aren't on the floor, our offense completely stops."
The victory improves Saint Mary's MIAA conference record to 2-10, which ties the Belles with Adrian College for the worst in the league. Saint Mary's travels to Adrian on Wednesday before playing Kalamazoo on Saturday in the season finale.
Notes:
The game marked the final career home game for senior guard Julie Norman. Norman, who finished the game with eight points, is a two-year captain who holds the school record for points scored in one game with her 38-point performance against Defiance on Feb. 13, 1999.
Norman was honored before the game with flowers as she stood on the court with her parents.
"There's no better way to go out than on a win," Norman said. "It was a lot of fun to be out there and have it be like my day."
All Sports Stories for Monday, February 12, 2001
