The Belles took a 25-23 lead into halftime, but poor second half shooting led to a 55-49 loss Saturday against North Park in Chicago.
Both teams shot poorly, but North Park's 29-percent from the floor was enough to defeat St. Mary's, who shot 23 percent on the game - 19 percent in the second half.
The Belles were just 2-of-15 from 3-point range and 70 percent from the free throw line. The Belles also had 38 rebounds to the Lady Vikings 37, the second time the Belles have out rebounded an opponent this season.
"We just didn't make shots in either half," Belles coach Steve Bender said. "That game was just a couple of shots from being a different story.
"We played hard. [The girls'] intensity has been great every game."
Erin Newsom led the Belles with 14 points and also added nine rebounds and a blocked shot. Bridget Boyce led the team with three assists and had a steal, as well as 13 points, including 8 points from the free throw line on a team-high ten attempts.
Allison Kessler also had 10 points, and Bridget Lipke lead the team with 10 rebounds to go along with five points, three assists and a steal.
St. Mary's next game is Wednesday, and the Belles will look to end a four-game losing streak. Coach Bender thinks that his team's struggles will end on Wednesday and their hard work will finally pay off.
This week, Coach Bender says the Belles will work on "execution" in practice and in the game they need to "have a little patience, get [their] confidence up and get on a roll."
"We've got to come with a positive attitude," Bender said. "I've got a real good feeling about [Wednesday]. We've got to get some confidence early and be the aggressors. These past few games, we've been on our heels a little."
St. Mary's will take on Adrian College (2-3) at home on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.
