Women’s basketball team defeats Rochester, 84-69

OLIVET, Mich. – The Olivet College women's basketball team stepped out of conference play for the final time this season and defeated Rochester College, 84-69, today at The Cutler Event Center in Olivet.

The Comets led the game from wire-to-wire. Olivet's halftime lead, 45-30, was the biggest margin of the opening 20 minutes of action. The Comets scored nine of the first 11 points of the second half to take a 54-32 lead.

The Warriors fought back and trailed by only 13 points on two occasions, with the last time being 63-50 at the 8:29 mark. Olivet pushed its lead to as many as 23 points, 81-58, with 2:42 left in the game when sophomore McKenzie Skiendziel (Battle Creek/Lakeview) made her third three-pointer of the game. Rochester put 11 of the final 14 points of to create the final score.

For the game, the Comets shot better than the Warriors and out-rebounded them by 20. Junior Stefanie Lang (Valparaiso, Ind.) finished with 19 points, 12 rebounds, two assists, five blocks and three steals. Junior Carli Reid (Lansing/Waverly) scored 15 points. Senior Kelsey Campbell (Olivet) was just short of a triple double with 14 points, nine assists and eight rebounds. Senior Chelsea Ciba (Olivet) contributed 12 points.

Rachel Smith paced Rochester with 18 points. Ke'ala Ka'aikala scored 14 points and grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds.

The Comets (12-2) will travel to play Albion College next Wednesday, Jan. 15, at 6 p.m.