Women's Basketball earned a tough home win Saturday afternoon.
The No. 15 Ravens defeated the University of Saint Mary Spires, 78-76, with the game coming down to the final seconds.
The Ravens entered the fourth quarter leading by 1 point but pushed that lead to 73-65 with 4:43 left to play. The Spires wouldn't fade away, though, scratching back to within 1 point, 77-76, with 18 seconds to play and possession of the ball.
Defense came up big for the Ravens, as it had all game, as
Elle Robinson got a steal and then made 1 free throw with 4 seconds left. A final heave by the Spires clanged off the rim as the Ravens held on for the win.
Defensive pressure by the Ravens forced 27 USM turnovers in the game – none timelier than Robinson's steal late in the fourth quarter. The Ravens also outrebounded the Spires 40-35, including 27 offensive boards, which helped offset the shooting percentage differences.
Saint Mary shot 53.5% from the field, made 12-of-24 3-pointers, and knocked down 18-20 free throws. The Ravens managed 35.8% shooting, six 3-pointers, and 14-22 from the free throw line. Regardless, the Ravens were able to grind out the win.
The Ravens forced 10 turnovers in the first quarter, turning them into 10 points as they took a 25-16 lead.
That lead was pushed to 40-25 halfway through the second quarter as the Ravens defense continued to cause problems for the Spires. However, USM answered with a 13-0 run to close out the quarter and trimmed the Ravens lead to just 2 points, 40-38.
The Ravens lost their halftime lead early in the third quarter as the Spires jumped in front by 2 points and the teams battled back and the forth the remainder of the quarter. The Ravens moved back in front late in the period when Robinson knocked down a 3-pointer and then scored another bucket after a Ravens steal. It was a 62-61 Ravens lead heading into the fourth quarter.
The Ravens then made the key plays down the stretch to move to 2-0 on the season.
Riley Bruggeman scored a team-high 17 points,
Hattie Gros and Robinson each scored 16 points, and
Nicole Storck joined them in double-figures with 13 points while also grabbing 11 rebounds.
Bruggeman added 7 assists, 7 rebounds and 3 steals to her line, and
Oen Deters had 5 assists and 4 steals.
The Ravens will host the Holiday Inn Express Classic next week, playing at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 6 against Evangel University, then 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 7 against Mission University.
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