Eagles' Rally Falls Short Against Providence

By Jon Crossman

DUBUQUE, Iowa—The Eagles ran out of steam in a heartbreaker against the Providence Pilots with a near 15-point comeback late in the game. Even with the loss on the road, the ladies have much to be proud of in terms of improvement, with the team's offense jumping to new heights for its highest scoring game of the season (70 points) and a shooting average that surpassed their season average by double-digits (49.2% over 37% average). 

Where the Eagles dominated on offense, Providence seemed to have an answer on their own end, forcing 31 turnovers and capitalizing on their quick defense with 37 points off those same turnovers. The Canadian rivals demonstrated their ice-cold precision in the first half, knocking down 8 of their 13 three-pointers before the halftime buzzer sounded. Despite never finding the lead in the game, Faith persevered when it counted the most, out-rebounding their opponent and keeping the biggest deficit to 15 points late in the third quarter. 

The teams battled to a close 47-57 score at the end of the third, with the only thing setting the two dynamics apart being the overall team depth. The Pilots reached deep into their roster, finding dividends in a 31-point spread of bench points compared to the Eagles' four-point turnout from Belle Wirges. The Eagles starters made their case on offense, with four of them cracking double-digits with two double-doubles to boot. Rachel Kleczka (15 points, 17 rebounds) and Mikayla Jones (16 points, 10 rebounds) each contributed generously, with a balanced showing from Makenna Laib (17 points, 6 steals) helping the Eagles stay within range. Mary Yarnell had herself a game on 7-of-8 shooting, kissing it off the glass with her signature put-back move for 14 points.

The ladies look to secure their first home win on Monday, December 5, taking on Grace Christian University at 5:00 p.m. The game is one of three home games for the week, with a game against Trinity Bible College on Friday and the packed slate ending on Saturday against Maranatha Baptist University.