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The University of Saint Mary women’s basketball team shook off the rust with a nonconference win over Stephens College on Tuesday night, beating the Stars 77-56.
With the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference opener against Sterling coming up Thursday evening, head coach Mike Basler said it was big for the Spires to get the victory.
“We were rusty,” Basler said. “We didn’t guard as well as I think we’re capable of and I wasn’t real happy with how we started so sluggish. ... It’s going to soothe my nerves if we practice well tomorrow too, but we needed to get back and get some game experience.”
USM started slow in the contest against Stephens. The Lady Spires scored the first bucket of the game on a drive by Jasmine Johnson, but then the visiting Stars ran off the next nine points to take control.
The Spires remained down a couple possessions until just five minutes remained in the first half when Adelyn Ezeh went coast-to-coast for a layup. She was fouled on the shot and hit the free throw as well, giving USM the lead at 21-19. The Spires didn’t allow Stephens to score again in the half and put up 13 straight points in a 16-0 run to end the half and go up 34-19.
“That was the key to the game,” USM head coach Mike Basler said. “We looked sluggish and weren’t getting some things done, but we finally took the lead and then closed the half on a 16-0 run.”
Stephens made a little run to start the second half, closing the gap to 12 at one point, but Saint Mary was able to stretch the advantage to 17 with 14 minutes to play after Jasmine Johnson put in seven straight points. It wasn’t until nine minutes later, though, that the Lady Spires got the lead over 20 points. A 3-pointer by Tracie Weege made the score 69-48 with five minutes to go in the game and USM closed it out from there in the 21-point win.
“We opened it up, we were just deeper,” Basler said. “Our kids who came in off the bench did a real good job tonight.”
Weege came off the bench to lead the Spires in scoring, putting up 21 points on 5-for-12 shooting from the field and 7-for-8 shooting from the charity stripe. Weege hit 4-of-7 3-point attempts in the game. Lilly Sunderman also provided a lift off the bench, with nine points and four rebounds.
“I thought Lilly Sunderman did well, she had nine points but it was some of the things she did besides scoring that were big — giving up energy and pushing the ball,” Basler said. “Tracie Weege had a good night. ... I thought she relaxed and came out and played well.”
Johnson finished with a double-double of 13 points and 10 rebounds and the senior also had two steals and a block. Shelby Watson was also in double figures with 14 points. Watson and Ezeh each had four assists to lead the team in that category.
“Shelby Watson is getting more consistent, I think that’s good to see,” Basler said. “She made some big buckets that helped us. Adelyn Ezeh had a good night too, she had good minutes and did things that don’t show up (in the stats) like handling the ball well in pressure.”
Ezeh had seven points in the game. Weege and Tyla Warren each had three steals and Sunderman had two.
The Spires face one of the toughest KCAC tests first, taking on No. 24-ranked Sterling. The game is slated for a 6 p.m. start Thursday.
The University of Saint Mary women’s basketball team shook off the rust with a nonconference win over Stephens College on Tuesday night, beating the Stars 77-56.
With the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference opener against Sterling coming up Thursday evening, head coach Mike Basler said it was big for the Spires to get the victory.
“We were rusty,” Basler said. “We didn’t guard as well as I think we’re capable of and I wasn’t real happy with how we started so sluggish. ... It’s going to soothe my nerves if we practice well tomorrow too, but we needed to get back and get some game experience.”
USM started slow in the contest against Stephens. The Lady Spires scored the first bucket of the game on a drive by Jasmine Johnson, but then the visiting Stars ran off the next nine points to take control.
The Spires remained down a couple possessions until just five minutes remained in the first half when Adelyn Ezeh went coast-to-coast for a layup. She was fouled on the shot and hit the free throw as well, giving USM the lead at 21-19. The Spires didn’t allow Stephens to score again in the half and put up 13 straight points in a 16-0 run to end the half and go up 34-19.
“That was the key to the game,” USM head coach Mike Basler said. “We looked sluggish and weren’t getting some things done, but we finally took the lead and then closed the half on a 16-0 run.”
Stephens made a little run to start the second half, closing the gap to 12 at one point, but Saint Mary was able to stretch the advantage to 17 with 14 minutes to play after Jasmine Johnson put in seven straight points. It wasn’t until nine minutes later, though, that the Lady Spires got the lead over 20 points. A 3-pointer by Tracie Weege made the score 69-48 with five minutes to go in the game and USM closed it out from there in the 21-point win.
“We opened it up, we were just deeper,” Basler said. “Our kids who came in off the bench did a real good job tonight.”
Weege came off the bench to lead the Spires in scoring, putting up 21 points on 5-for-12 shooting from the field and 7-for-8 shooting from the charity stripe. Weege hit 4-of-7 3-point attempts in the game. Lilly Sunderman also provided a lift off the bench, with nine points and four rebounds.
“I thought Lilly Sunderman did well, she had nine points but it was some of the things she did besides scoring that were big — giving up energy and pushing the ball,” Basler said. “Tracie Weege had a good night. ... I thought she relaxed and came out and played well.”
Johnson finished with a double-double of 13 points and 10 rebounds and the senior also had two steals and a block. Shelby Watson was also in double figures with 14 points. Watson and Ezeh each had four assists to lead the team in that category.
“Shelby Watson is getting more consistent, I think that’s good to see,” Basler said. “She made some big buckets that helped us. Adelyn Ezeh had a good night too, she had good minutes and did things that don’t show up (in the stats) like handling the ball well in pressure.”
Ezeh had seven points in the game. Weege and Tyla Warren each had three steals and Sunderman had two.
The Spires face one of the toughest KCAC tests first, taking on No. 24-ranked Sterling. The game is slated for a 6 p.m. start Thursday.
