LIVONIA, Mich. – The Madonna University women's basketball team hung with Aquinas College, who received votes in the most recent NAIA Coaches' Top 25 Poll, for the first 20 minutes, but a fast-paced contest was too much for the Crusaders in an 83-47 loss inside the MU Activities Center on Wednesday night. The loss drops the Blue and Gold to 0-8 on the season and 0-3 in Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference play while the Saints move to 8-4 overall and 4-1 in league action.  

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Crusaders fell to an early 13-4 deficit at the 5:46 mark in the first quarter, but Sheldon Bochenek dropped a bucket in the paint and Sydney Brown sunk a free throw to begin the Blue and Gold comeback. Cierra Von Zittwitz, Hannah Reinhold, and Brown hit the next three consecutive baskets, bringing the score to 18-14 in favor of the Saints.
• The Crusaders continued to keep pace in the second quarter, taking the first lead of the game following a Claire LeRoux three-pointer, giving MU a 21-2-0 lead. Back and forth action followed as the teams traded buckets, but it was the Saints with the late push that pulled them ahead 32-27 at halftime.
• The Saints took control in the second half as they outscored the Madonna 51-20 thanks to a fast-paced attack that wore down the short-handed Crusaders. The dagger came in the third quarter as Aquinas used an 18-4 run to turn an 8-point contest into a 22-point game with 1:35 to play in the period.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• Reinhold paced the Blue and Gold with 12 points while Bochenek added 10 points, five rebounds and three blocks.
• Emily Huff tallied five steals in the contest and Von Zittwitz added five boards.
• MU finished the contest 20-of-60 (33.3%) from the floor and 3-of-14 (21.4%) from the 3-point arc to go with a 4-of-8 (50%) mark at the free throw line. At the other end, Aquinas shot 49.2 percent (31-of-63) from the field, 33.3 percent (4-of-12) from three and 73.9 percent (17-of-23) from the charity stripe.

UP NEXT

• The Crusaders return to action on Saturday, December 1, traveling to the Warriors of Rochester College for a 1:00 p.m. tip off at Garth Pleasant Arena in Rochester Hills.
• Live coverage links, if available, will be posted at www.mucrusaders.com.

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