Saint Mary's looks to get another conference win under its belt when it visits Alma on Saturday at 3 p.m.
The Belles (13-6, 6-4 MIAA) will try to defeat the Scots (1-17, 0-9) for the second time this season, having picked up a 70-63 win on Dec. 11.
While Belles coach Jennifer Henley likes to keep her team focused on the defensive side of the game, the Belles' offensive output has been a large factor in the team's success over the past few weeks. Saint Mary's has gone 4-3 during that stretch and has produced over 60 points in each of those contests.
Junior Maggie Ronan was named MIAA Co-Player of the Week for games played through Jan. 22. Ronan garnered these honors largely due to her scoring output over the course of the past four games, in which she has averaged almost 22 points per game. Her latest offensive contribution for the Belles was a 31-point performance during Wednesday's 76-66 win over Olivet, a new career-high.
The Belles are also receiving consistent performances from junior forward Kelley Murphy, who nearly averages a double-double with a team-high 14.8 points per game and 9.3 rebounds per game. Junior guard Patsy Mahoney is also a key player on the offensive end, scoring at a 13.3 point per game clip. Saint Mary's has also displayed stellar free-throw shooting of late, as the Belles are shooting 74 percent on the year.
According to Henley, eliminating turnovers and playing strong defense will be the keys to Saturday's game against Alma. Henley has emphasized the importance of protecting the ball on the offensive end and keeping opponents out of the lane on the defensive end.
The Belles look to pick up their second win in a row and seventh in the conference, while the Scots will be searching for their first win since Nov. 20.
