Women’s basketball team drops 56-54 decision at Adrian

ADRIAN, Mich. – A comeback late in the game fell short, as the Olivet College women's basketball team was defeated by Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) rival Adrian College, 56-54, tonight inside the Merillat Sport & Fitness Center.

• Final Score: Adrian 56, Olivet 54
• Location: Merillat Sport & Fitness Center; Adrian, Michigan
• Records: Olivet 4-10 overall, 1-4 MIAA; Adrian 5-8 overall, 1-3 MIAA

• The Comets raced out to an 11-2 lead at the 5:39 mark of the first quarter. The Bulldogs fought back with a 10-2 run before a basket by sophomore Courtney Balazs made the score 15-12 at the end of the first stanza.
• Olivet pushed its led back to six points, 24-18, with 1:18 left in the second quarter. Adrian scored the final five points of the quarter to trail by one, 24-23, at halftime.
• Early in the third quarter, neither team led by one point until senior Rachel Swartz drained a three-pointer to put Olivet ahead by two points, 31-29. Two baskets for Adrian made the score 33-31 but junior Lily Connelly answered with a three-pointer to put the Comets back on top, 34-33. The Bulldogs responded with five straight points to go up 38-34. Another Connelly triple closed the gap to one before an Adrian free throw created a 39-37 to start the fourth quarter.
• The fourth quarter began with the teams trading baskets, resulting in a pair of tied scores. Following the last one at 41-41, the Bulldogs used a 13-4 run over the next five minutes and 17 seconds to go up 54-45. Connelly connected on a three before an Adrian free throw made the score 55-48 with 2:25 left. Connelly made two free throws to make the score 55-50.
• An offensive foul on the Bulldogs was called. On Olivet's next possession, Connelly converted a layup. Adrian missed it next two free throws. Senior Rachel Swartz grabbed the rebound after the second miss. Balazs drove the lane for a layup to cut the deficit to one, 55-54, with 33 seconds remaining.
• The Bulldogs were off on two more free throws, with Connelly pulling down the defensive rebound. A three-point attempt for Olivet did not go in. Adrian grabbed the defensive, and a player was fouled. She missed the first free throw and made the second. After an Olivet timeout to set-up an inbound play in the front court, another Comet shot was missed.

• Connelly scored a game-high 25 points. She also grabbed a team-leading eight rebounds.
• Senior Julia Decker was next with seven points.

• Julia Tiernan scored a team-best 14 points.
• Jordan Phillips and Kiara Wernette finished with 12 and 10 points, respectively.
• Ashlyn Weatherly tallied a game-best 11 rebounds.

• Olivet welcomes Hope College Saturday to the Cutler Event Center for the first game of a basketball doubleheader, starting at 1 p.m. After the women's game, the Comet men also play Hope.