This past weekend, the Belles faced off against the Adrian Bulldogs, taking a 70-57 loss.
Adrian started off strong, scoring the first two points of the game, but after it committed a foul, freshman guard Kate Passinault added a free throw to make the score 2-1. The Belles then committed a shooting foul, allowing Adrian to put in a free throw, but they quickly recovered as freshman guard Ella Notaro added two more points to tie the score at 3-3. After a layup from Adrian, sophomore guard Kate Restovich added a layup and a free throw to hold a 6-5 lead, but Adrian responded with a second layup, retaking the 7-6 lead.
Senior guard Lauren Gumma added on her first points of the night, draining a three-point shot to pull the Belles ahead at 9-7, but Adrian tied up the score with a layup. Junior guard Nicole Connolly pushed back with a layup to make the score 11-9, but Adrian added on a layup of its own, tying the score. Another three-point shot from Gumma kept the Belles ahead, but Adrian responded with a three-pointer as the score remained tied.
The Bulldogs started the second quarter going on a seven-point run to make the score 21-14 before senior forward Julia Schutz broke the silence with a layup to bring the score to 21-16. After two layups from Adrian, Schutz was able to put in a layup, and Notaro added two layups and a free throw, Kate Restovich added a jump shot and a three-point shot and Gumma added a layup, pulling the Belles ahead 30-25. Adrian put in a three-point shot, but Notaro added the final layup to keep the Belles ahead at 32-28.
Going into the third quarter, Schutz added on the first two points to make the score 34-28, but the Bulldogs responded with a layup to close the score to 34-30. Schutz added on two more points, but after that a six-point run from Adrian tied the score at 36. Schutz kept the ball rolling as she put in another layup, but Adrian added three more points to stay ahead 39-38 before Passinault pulled the Belles back ahead to a 40-39 lead with a layup. Five more points from Adrian pulled it ahead 44-40, but a free throw from Schutz made the score 44-41. A three-point shot from Adrian made the score 47-41, but another free throw from Schutz finished the third quarter with the Belles trailing 47-42.
After no one scored in the first few minutes of the fourth quarter, Schutz continued to be key on offense, putting in a layup, but Adrian was quick to respond with a layup that made the score 50-44. The two teams continued to trade points, but a seven-point run by Adrian pulled it ahead at 68-56. A free throw from Connolly nearing the end of the quarter brought the score to 68-57, but Adrian put in the final two points, making the final score 70-67.
Schutz led the Belles on offense with a total of 16 points followed by Gumma, who finished with 14. Kate Restovich led on defense with a total of six rebounds. With this result, the Belles fell to 4-12 on the season and 1-6 in the MIAA before facing Albion on Jan. 22 at 7 p.m.
