Balanced attack leads women’s basketball team to 67-51 win at Albion

Comets match 1986-87 team for longest win streak, Campbell breaks single-season assists record

ALBION, Mich. – Four starters reached double figures in the scoring column, as the Olivet College women's basketball team defeated Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) rival Albion College, 67-51, this evening at Kresge Gymnasium in Albion. With the win, the Comets have won eight straight games to tie the school record for longest winning streak.

Junior Carli Reid (Lansing/Waverly) led the way with 17 points. Junior Stefanie Lang (Valparaiso, Ind.) finished with 15 points. Seniors Chelsea Ciba (Olivet) and Kelsey Campbell (Olivet) contributed 13 and 11 points, respectively. Lang also grabbed a game-high 16 rebounds for her league-leading 13th double-double of the season. Campbell had nine assists to break her own single-season school record.

The Comets raced out to a six-point lead, 10-4, at the 16:33 mark of the first half. Over the next six minutes and eight seconds, the Britons fought back with an 11-2 run to take their first lead in the game, 15-12. Olivet scored five straight points to regain the lead, 17-15, at the 9:09 mark.

Eventually, the Comets built their lead to as many as 10 points, 30-20, with 3:16 left until halftime. Albion scored six straight points before sophomore McKenzie Skiendziel (Battle Creek/Lakeview) made a three-pointer to put Olivet ahead by seven points, 33-26, at the break.

In the second half, the Comets stretched their lead to 14 points, 54-40, with 10:13 remaining in the game. The Britons came back and trailed by only five points, 56-51, at the 5:42 mark. Olivet scored the final 10 points of the game to gain its largest lead at the end of the game.

For the game, the Comets shot 41.5 percent (27-of-65) from the floor to 30.2 percent for Albion. The Britons made more free throws (18) than field goals (16). Olivet out-rebounded Albion, 47-38, including a 13-8 in offensive boards, and shared the ball better with an 18-6 edge in assists.

Brett deBear was the only Briton in double figures with 14 points. Aly Bates and Khaila Royster each scored nine points, while Royster pulled down a team-leading seven rebounds.

The Comets (13-2, 5-1 MIAA) are back in action Saturday afternoon when they make the trip down I-69 to play Trine (Ind.) University. Game time at Hershey Hall in Angola is 1 p.m.

NOTES: The eight-game win streak matches the 1986-87 team. The Comets need only two wins to equal both the 1986-87 and 2012-13 team for most wins in a season. In each of her three seasons at Olivet, Campbell has broken the single-season record for assists. She had 135 in 2011-12, 143 in 2012-13 and has 144 in 2013-14. Lang's 13 double-doubles also leads all NCAA Division III women's basketball players. She entered the game tied with Paige Baechle from Centre (Ky.) College.