The Belles will look to rebound from Monday's debacle at Calvin when they travel to Kalamazoo and face the Hornets Saturday at 3 p.m.
Saint Mary's had won four straight before the 75-44 loss to Calvin. The Belles shot a dismal 21 percent from the floor in that game and committed a season-worst 17 turnovers.
The Belles - now 9-11 overall and 8-5 in conference play - will face the Hornets, who are 3-18 and 2-11 in the MIAA, for the second time this year. The Belles easily won the first meeting in a 70-42 romp.
With the conference tournament fast approaching, the Belles hope to hold on to the third spot they currently occupy in the conference standings.
Junior guard Alison Kessler will look to surpass the 1,000-point mark for her career in Saturday's game. Kessler is just 13 points shy of the milestone, which only seven players in school history have attained.
The Belles have worked on rebounds during the last few weeks of practice, and their hard work has shown come game time. Against Calvin, Saint Mary's outrebounded the Comets by a 46-42 margin.
Another Saint Mary's strength is free throw shooting. The Belles have stayed consistent from the charity stripe all year, making it to the line 99 times more than their opponents. Free throws account for 25 percent of Saint Mary's scoring output this season.
After a tough loss, the Belles are favored against Kalamazoo. The win would be crucial to building momentum for the rest of the season.
