Women’s Basketball Undone by Early Deficit in Home Loss

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DOWNLOAD OUR FREE APPS: iOS (iPhone/iPad) | Android   DETROIT — Down 23-1 to begin the game, Marygrove women’s basketball played their way back into the game before eventually falling to the visiting Racers of Northwestern Ohio by a 84-58 final on a snowy Wednesday (Feb. 4) evening in Detroit. The loss drops the Mustangs to 4-21 on the season overall and 2-15 in WHAC play as the 2014-15 campaign nears its end. The Racers improved to 12-13 overall and 10-7 in conference play after picking up the win in the Motor City. 

After being held to one point over the game’s opening five minutes, the Mustangs pushed back to the tune of a 21-5 run over the next nine minutes. The 16-point swing allowed the Mustangs to climb to within six, 28-22, at the 6:29 mark, sparking a highly competitive finish to Wednesday’s first half action. 

Despite the first-half comeback, the Mustangs continued to be plagued by turnovers against the Racers’ full-court press. In all, The Mustangs committed 18 first-half turnovers compared to 11 for the visitors as the Racers held a 20-9 advantage in points off turnovers at the break. The turnover discrepancy resulted in a 45-31 halftime lead for the Racers as the visitors closed out the first half on a 17-9 run.

Credit the Mustangs’ Janeesa Jamierson (Battle Creek, Mich./Kellogg CC) and Micaiah King (Detroit, Mich./Wayne County CC) for the bulk of the comeback by dropping in seven points each over the game’s opening 20 minutes.

Madison Coldren ignited the Racers early run by posting 23 first-half points.

Coldren and the Racers fought off another Mustang rally in the latter half, going on to win the conference battle by 26 points after once holding a 22-point lead five minutes into the game.

The Mustangs early 23-to-1 deficit, fueled by untimely turnovers, proved to be the difference in the end as the Racers owned a 26-16 points off turnovers advantage and a 18-10 edge in second-chance points to pull away for the conference victory.

The Mustangs were led by Jamierson with a team-high 13 points. Tiffany Bradford (Detroit, Mich./Dakota College) returned to the lineup after a one-game absence to tally 11 points while adding three rebounds and an assist. King led the Mustangs on the boards, corralling a team-best 11 rebounds to add to her seven-point night.

Coldren paced the Racers with a game-high 28 points and 18 rebounds.

The Mustangs return to action Saturday (Feb. 7) with a road tilt at Siena Heights. Tip-off is slated for 5:30 p.m. with live coverage links available on marygrovemustangs.com.

  WOMEN’S BASKETBALL CONTACT: Tim Johnston | @tjohnston56
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