After splitting their first two matchups of the 2017-2018 season, the Blackburn women’s basketball team traveled to Indiana to take on Saint Mary of the Woods on Saturday Nov. 18.
Last season the Beavers faced the Pomeroys in the first game of the year in an epic, high-paced game that resulted in a combined 198 points. However, 38 Blackburn turnovers and fast break points by Saint Mary led to a 111-87 defeat for the Beavers. This time around, Blackburn hoped to flip the script on the Pomeroys.
Blackburn got out to a promising start in the first quarter, outscoring their opponents 25-16 and at one point holding a 12 point lead. However, seven first quarter and nine second quarter turnovers prevented the Beavers from opening the lead further and they entered the half with a comfortable 37-29 lead.
After building their lead back up to 10 points, the pressure brought on by the Pomeroys began a series of breakdowns by the Beavers that led them to double their amount of first half turnovers in the third quarter. Despite the pressure and the hefty number of giveaways, Blackburn continued to keep themselves in the game, but they did allow a 15-point turnaround as Saint Mary turned an eight point deficit at the half into a seven point lead.
As the time ticked by in the fourth quarter, one thing was clear. No matter the score, the Beavers were going to keep fighting. Although they dropped the contest 82-72, the team showed a tremendous amount of heart and grit. If someone was to look at the 42 total turnovers, the assumption would most likely be that the game was a blowout, but it wasn’t. In fact, the women actually led for the majority of the game and had three players finish the game with double figures. Savannah Kruse contributed 12 points in 22 minutes while sophomore Lauryn Jackson came off the bench strong with 11 points in 11 minutes. Junior Gariel Pierce earned herself a double-double as she pulled down 15 boards and collected 14 points. Unfortunately they weren’t able to overcome their struggles against Saint Mary’s pressure in the latter part of the game.
While the Beavers dropped to 1-2 on the season, the game showed the potential the Blackburn women possess and leaves both players and fans hopeful for what is to come.
Blackburn will have a second chance against the Pomeroys when they face off in a rematch at Dawes Gymnasium on Feb. 5. The team will also look to get back to a .500 record against Illinois College on Nov. 21.