Shooting Setbacks Spoil Christmas Classic Cheer
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
22 | 13 | 19 | 11 | 65 |
|
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11 | 15 | 12 | 18 | 56 |
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
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17 | 22 | 15 | 13 | 67 |
|
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7 | 13 | 6 | 9 | 35 |
By Jon Crossman
ANKENY, Iowa – After starting the season out with a win over Union College, the lady Eagles find themselves heading into Christmas break in the middle of a three-game losing streak brought on from a challenging Christmas Classic weekend. The ladies lost to the 5-5 Trinity Lions early in the tournament and went on to have their chances dashed against Maranatha Baptist University.
The tournament began for the Eagles with a loss Friday night to Trinity, 67-35. The Eagles' shooting followed suit to the Iowa weather patterns, freezing up at 20% in the first quarter and warming up immediately after for 38.5% in the next quarter for the highest scoring quarter of the game for the ladies. Trinity stayed consistent throughout, gobbling up 39 first-half points thanks in part to an impressive three-point accuracy (5-7) from the Lion's Grace West. The breaking point came in the third quarter with only three players finding scoring opportunities for six total points. A big hole in the offense was the Eagles' inability to get the ball in the right spot on the floor, giving up 41 turnovers from miscommunications and unconverted passes. Rachel Kleczka muscled her way into the biggest stat of the match, pulling down 18 rebounds in the loss.
Maranatha has cemented themselves as worthy rivals in previous seasons, and Saturday's close game was a perfect highlight of that rivalry. The Eagles dug an early hole, down 24-11 into the early minutes of the second quarter, before starters Makenna Laib, Rachel Kleczka and Sarah Iler combined for 11 points to bring the game within reach at 27-25. Tina Harms, the Owatonna (MN) native who is dominating in her role as a post player went off for 14 points, four of which were also a part of the second quarter comeback effort. The close game faded in and out of reach for the Eagles, with a clutch three-point bucket from Sarah Iler late in the final minutes of the game sending Maranatha into a timeout, up by only seven. The Eagles went on to knock down only one more shot, falling 65-56.
Even with the back-to-back losses, the Eagles still have lots of takeaways from the weekend to add to the nice list. Rachel Kleczka has been unstoppable in the paint, grabbing 36 rebounds in the tournament and leading the Eagles with 17 points against Maranatha. Sarah Iler, who's shooting proved key last season when the pressure was on, is starting to heat up with a weekend average of nine points, including two important three-pointers. Mary Yarnell and Tina Harms both gave support under the basket, adding 19 rebounds against Maranatha in the close loss.
The Eagles hit the hardwood again in January against Barclay College, starting another tournament challenge on January 7 at 10:00 a.m.
Team Stats
Maranatha Baptist University
| Game Statistics | Maranatha Baptist University | Faith Baptist Bible College |
|---|---|---|
| Field Goals | (28-77) | (24-73) |
| Field Goal % | 36.4% | 32.9% |
| Rebounds | 32 | 51 |
| Assists | 6 | 10 |
| Turnovers | 11 | 29 |
| Pts off Turnovers | 29 | 14 |
| 2nd Chance Pts | 12 | 10 |
| Pts in the Paint | 30 | 30 |
| Fastbreak Pts | 4 | 0 |
| Bench Pts | 4 | 14 |
Trinity Bible College
| Game Statistics | Trinity Bible College | Faith Baptist Bible College |
|---|---|---|
| Field Goals | (27-71) | (15-63) |
| Field Goal % | 38.0% | 23.8% |
| Rebounds | 33 | 49 |
| Assists | 6 | 9 |
| Turnovers | 18 | 41 |
| Pts off Turnovers | 33 | 7 |
| 2nd Chance Pts | 8 | 15 |
| Pts in the Paint | 20 | 14 |
| Fastbreak Pts | 4 | 0 |
| Bench Pts | 9 | 10 |
