Lady Comet basketball team falls to Kalamazoo, 59-48

The Olivet College women's basketball team fell to Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association foe Kalamazoo College, 59-48, tonight at the Upton Center.

In the first half, the Lady Comets led by as many as seven points at 16-9 with 7:35 left when junior forward Tonya Dawson (Marshall High School) made a layup. The Hornets battled back with a 10-2 run to take their first lead of the game at the 3:28 mark. In the final 3:28, Kalamazoo outscored Olivet, 7-4, to lead 26-22 at halftime.

In the early part of the second half, Olivet cut the deficit to one point on two occasions. The Hornets then extended their lead to 12 points with 8:15 left in the contest. Over the next four minutes, the Comets pulled to within four points when sophomore center Amanda Johnston (Mt. Morris/ Genessee High School) nailed a jump shot at the 4:41 mark. Kalamazoo sealed the victory by canning nine-of-14 free throws in the last 1:30 of the game.

Johnston paced the Comets with 16 points and a game-high 14 rebounds, including 10 off the defensive glass. Senior guard Molly Lipton (Ann Arbor/Pioneer High School) contributed 12 points and six assists.

Olivet is next in action on Saturday, Dec. 13, when it hosts non-league foe Spring Arbor University at 1 p.m. It is the first game of an Olivet women's/men's basketball doubleheader. The men will play Concordia University 30 minutes after the conclusion of the women's game.