Women’s basketball team loses to Aquinas, 77-56

The Olivet College women's basketball team suffered a 77-56 loss to Aquinas College this afternoon in the second round of the 2007 Comet Classic at the Upton Center in Olivet. For her efforts in the tournament, freshman Ameina Ross (Lansing/Everett) was named to the all-tournament team.

The Comets scored the first two points of the game but that lead would be quickly erased on back-to-back layups by the Saints. Aquinas stretched its lead to 12 points, 33-21, at the 4:07 mark of the opening. Olivet trimmed its deficit down to six points, 36-30, at halftime.

In the first four minutes, 21 seconds of the second half, the Comets made it a two-point game, 41-39. Joslyn Narber and the Saints then took control of the game with a 26-7 run to take a 23-point lead, 69-46, with 5:22 left on the clock. In that stretch, Narber scored 17 points.

For the game, Olivet shot 41.2 percent (21-of-51) from the floor and 69.2 percent (9-of-13) from the free throw line. Aquinas was 25-of-55 (45.5 percent) from the floor and 23-of-26 (88.5 percent) from the free throw line. The Comets were led by junior Emily Brown (Muskegon/Mona Shores) with 21 points on eight-of-10 shooting. She made 5-of-7 free throws. Senior Amy Brackenwagen (Grand Ledge) and sophomore Gabrielle Federau (Okemos) each pulled down a team-high six rebounds.

Narber, the tournament's MVP, had a game-high 29 points. She made 10-of-12 field goals, including four three-pointers, and 5-of-7 free throws. Carrie Abdo, Marie Carbee and Alicia McCarthy scored 10 points a piece. Abdo also grabbed eight rebounds.

Olivet is idle until next Friday and Saturday, Nov. 30-Dec. 1, when it participates in the Montana State University-Northern (MSN) AmericInn Classic in Havre, Mt. On Friday night, the Comets will play MSN at 8 p.m. ET, and on Saturday, they will play Carroll (Mt.) College at 1 p.m. ET.