Last Saturday afternoon, Feb. 4, conference leading Indiana Wesleyan University (IWU)
Wildcats (24-1, 13-1) proved too much to handle for the Spring Arbor University (SAU)
Cougars (7-18, 3-11), resulting in a 70-39 defeat at their home, Bill Bockwitz Court. The loss
was the sixth straight for the struggling ladies who are battling to qualify for the competitive
conference tournament at the end of the season.
Despite several opportunities, the Cougars failed to put the ball in the net consistently, shooting
for a disappointing 27 percent from the field throughout the game. Going to the foul line more
often might have proved beneficial, where the ladies were an impressive 85 percent, good for 11
points.
The limited success on the scoreboard was spread evenly throughout the lineup with seniors
Sarah Wellman and Angela Russell leading the way. Wellman put her experience to use in the
paint, knocking down 8 points and fighting for 3 offensive rebounds. On the perimeter, Russell
also put up 8 points while sinking two from behind the arc, the second of which came within the
final seconds of the first half.
The lack of scoring did not appear to be a problem for IWU center Paige Smith, who proved to
be a force in the lane and scored 19 points and grabbed eight rebounds. Shutting Smith down
meant weakening the defensive coverage, resulting in IWU hitting eight three-pointers as a team,
led by Ashley Brooks with three.
The Lady Cougars appeared to overwhelm the Wildcats from the tipoff, going up by four and
not allowing a basket for the first three minutes. Unfortunately, the team was unable to maintain
their pace as IWU answered with 11 straight points, paving their way to a 31 to 23 lead at the
half.
The lead would have been greater had it not been for Russell, who was given the ball with six
seconds left in the half; Russell pushed the ball up the court and into the offensive zone, creating
some separation well beyond the three-point line. In the dying seconds she put up a hopeful shot
and watched the ball sink into the basket, touching nothing but the net as the buzzer rang and the
loyal fans screamed.
The momentum Russell created at the end of the half failed to continue into the second, as
the Cougars struggled to keep up with the size and speed of IWU. After putting up six points
relatively quickly, SAU endured a nine minute stretch without scoring a point, during which
the Wildcats took a firm control of the game. The Cougars did pick up their game in the final
minutes of regulation, but it was not enough to overcome the deficit.
The SAU women’s basketball team will play their final three games of the season in the coming
days; the last home game of the season is this Saturday, Feb. 11 at 1:00 p.m. against conference
foe Goshen College. Come out and show your support for all the hard work that the team has
done this season, as well as honor the seniors who will be playing their final home game at SAU.
