Women’s basketball team upended by Franklin, 57-42

OLIVET, Mich. – The Olivet College women's basketball team stepped out of Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) action for the night and fell to Franklin (Ind.) College, 57-42, at the Cutler Event Center.

• Final Score: Franklin 57, Olivet 42
• Location: Cutler Event Center; Olivet, Michigan
• Records: Olivet 2-6 overall, Franklin 3-3 overall

• With the Grizzlies holding a slim 6-3 advantage at the 3:00 mark of the opening quarter, the Comets scored six of the next seven points for a 9-7 lead. After Franklin tied the game, two free throws by freshman Megan Mauney put Olivet ahead 11-9 at the end of the quarter.
• The Comets opened the second quarter by scoring the first 10 points to gain their largest lead of the game at 21-9 with 5:37 left until halftime. The Grizzlies answered with a 10-2 run to trail by just four points, 23-19, at the break.
• Franklin's run continued, as it began the third quarter with an 11-0 spurt. Olivet scored its first basket of the third period with 5:34 showing on the clock. Six straight points pushed the Grizzlies' lead to double digits, 36-26, for the first time in the game. The Comets scored five of the final seven points of the quarter to make the score 38-31 entering the fourth quarter.
• Olivet closed the gap to three points, 38-35, but did not get any closer for the remainder of the contest.

• Olivet shot 22.6 percent (12-of-53) compared to 37.5 percent (21-of-56) for Franklin. The Comets outrebounded the Grizzlies, 45-34.
• Balazs and Mauney topped Olivet with nine points apiece.
• Junior Lily Connelly grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds, while recording three assists.

• Lauryn Bates came off the bench to lead all scorers with 15 points.
• Georgia Hanauer was next with 12 points and eight rebounds.
• Taylor Cooney chipped-in 10 points.

• Olivet returns to MIAA play Saturday against Trine (Ind.) University. Tip-off at the MTI Center in Angola, Indiana, is 3 p.m.