Women’s basketball team comes up short against Adrian, 70-63

OLIVET, Mich. – The Olivet College women's basketball team was upended by Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) rival Adrian College, 70-63, tonight inside the Cutler Event Center.

• Final Score: Adrian 70, Olivet 63
• Location: Cutler Event Center; Olivet, Michigan
• Records: Olivet 5-16 overall, 2-10 MIAA; Adrian 10-11 overall, 6-6 MIAA

• Olivet led 5-0 before the Bulldogs went on an 8-0 run. The Comets answered with six straight points to go back on top by three points, 11-8. An Adrian three-pointer leveled the score at the 2:16 mark of the first quarter. Freshman Megan Mauney split two free throws to put Olivet ahead at the end of the quarter, 12-11.
• In the second quarter, the Bulldogs seized a seven-point lead, 23-16, with 4:07 left until halftime. Back-to-back baskets by junior Madison Bailey and a layup by freshman Kinsley Hatfield closed the gap to a single point, 23-22. Adrian made a free throw before a layup by freshman Gracie Shettler tied the game at 24-24 at the 1:27 mark. After the Bulldogs went ahead, 26-24, Bailey drained a three-pointer to put Olivet ahead 27-26. Adrian responded with a triple in the final seconds of the quarter to take a two-point lead, 29-27, into the locker rooms.
• Adrian stretched its lead to seven points, 39-32, at the 5:17 mark of the third quarter. The Comets fought back to cut their deficit down to two points, 41-39, with 1:41 remaining in the third period. The Bulldogs scored six of the final seven points of the quarter to make the score 47-40 at the start of the fourth quarter.
• In the fourth quarter, Adrian extended its lead to as many as 11 points, 55-44. Olivet chipped away at its deficit to trail by only three points, 59-56, with just over two minutes left in the game. The Comets did not get any closer as the Bulldogs made 9-of-10 free throws down the stretch.
• For the game, Olivet had two more baskets, but Adrian made two more shots from behind the arc. The difference in the game was the Bulldogs shot 17-of-24 (70.8 percent) from the free throw line compared to 8-of-19 (42.1 percent) for the Comets.

• Junior Lily Connelly led all scorers with 24 points on 9-of-16 shooting. She also had seven assists.
• Bailey scored a career-high 15 points on 6-of-8 shooting.
• Senior Rachel Swartz grabbed a game-best seven rebounds and blocked three shots. She is now second all-time at Olivet in blocked shots with 106 and needs just four to become the leader.

• Four starters scored in double figures, led by Kiara Wernette's 15 points.
• Jordan Phillips added 13 points.
• Makayla Clement and Kylie Skidmore each had 11 points.
• Kylie Skidmore pulled down six rebounds.

• Olivet goes on the road to play Calvin University Saturday afternoon. Tip-off is set for 1 p.m.