The Belles once again will see familiar faces on the opposite end of the court Saturday as Saint Mary's plays Kalamazoo College at 3 p.m. at the Angela Athletic Center.
This will be the teams' second meeting this season, but this time Saint Mary's is playing at home - its last home game of the regular season. The Belles hope that will be all that changes from their first matchup with Kalamazoo.
Saint Mary's turned in a convincing 10-point victory in Kalamazoo on Jan. 14, besting the Lady Hornets 83-73. In that game, the Belles were 12-for-21 from behind the arc, setting a school record for three-pointers in a game. Senior captain Bridget Boyce had 23 points, and sophomore guard Alison Kessler added 22.
Saint Mary's previous game against Kalamazoo was the first win in what has been a history-making run, which has seen the Belles take five of their last seven games and surge into fourth place in the MIAA.
One major reason for the team's improvement in the second half of the season is its play when facing familiar opponents.
The Belles are now 3-2 when facing a team for the second time, their revenge made all the more sweet by passing conference opponents in the standings.
The Belles attribute their success the second time around to their mental toughness.
"I don't think it makes a difference anymore," freshman forward Erin Newsom said. "How we did against a team in the past is over."
Nevertheless, the team's positive experience with Kalamazoo this year will boost the Belles' confidence after a tough loss to Calvin Feb. 3. Despite the loss, Saint Mary's will continue playing hard, the trademark of its second-half schedule
"We can stay with any team in the conference," Newsom said.
And despite the pressure that the Belles might feel in these last few games, they are confident that they can come through in the clutch against Kalamazoo.
