Site: Grand Rapids, Mich. (Van Noord Arena)
Score: No. 19 Calvin College 59, Madonna University 56
Records: MU 4-6; CC 11-1
Next MU event: Tuesday, Dec. 29 at Wayne State (Detroit, Mich.)

BOX SCORE

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (MadonnaCrusaders.com) - - In a game marred by cold shooting from both sides, it was the Madonna University women's basketball team that went cold at the wrong time, falling 59-56 to No. 19-ranked Calvin College on Tuesday night (Dec. 22) inside Van Noord Arena.

Junior guard Tabatha Wydryck (Wyandotte, Mich.) led the way for the Crusaders with 18 points to go along with six rebounds and a like number of assists. Freshman center Kaylee McGrath (Livonia, Mich.) joined Wydryck in double-figures with 13 markers - helped by a 3-of-4 performance from behind the arc - and five rebounds. Carissa Verkaik led all players with 19 points and 14 rebounds for the victorious Knights.

MU raced out to an early seven point lead - 11-4 - in the game's first six minutes only to see Calvin tie the game at 13-all with 12:20 left. After Calvin went in front by two, senior Kim Olech (Canton, Mich.) tied the game for the fourth time (15-15) on a lay up of her own. A McGrath triple put MU on top by three and Wydryck hit a three of her own after a Knight put back to put the Crusaders on top by four at 21-17 with just over 10 minutes to go in the half.

The Crusaders eventually pushed the lead up to seven at 30-23 but the Knights pulled to with in two with 1:28 left and then tied the game for the fifth time (33-33) with just 32 seconds left on a Verkaik put back and took a 36-33 lead into the locker room after Leah Morrison hit a three with six seconds left in the half.

Calvin led the first eight minutes of the half but Madonna kept its deficit to five or fewer points before Wydryck heated up and pulled MU back in front. Wydryck made the back side of a two-shot trip to the free throw line and then converted a Knight miscue into a lay up at the other end to pull MU back to with in two at 40-38. 

After freshman Shantelle Herring (Macomb, Mich.) split a pair of free throws to make it a one point game (40-39), Wydryck stole the ball from Allison Wolffis and converted the fast break to put MU on top for the first time all half at 41-40. Another Wydryck lay in followed by a three from junior Katie Mount (Waterford, Mich.) pushed the Crusader lead to its biggest of the half at six, 46-40.

An 11-2 run by Calvin swung the lead back to the home side at 51-48 with 8:34 left, but another McGrath three tied the game at 51-all with 8:17 to go. A pair of Herring free throws gave MU the lead back at 53-51 with 6:10 left and both teams then went cold with neither side scoring for over two minutes until Kelsey Irvin hit a three that put Calvin on top 54-53 with 3:57 left, a lead the Knights would not relinquish.

McGrath's three with just over eight minutes to go was the last field goal MU could convert until Herring hit a three with six ticks left that pulled MU with in two (58-56) and Mount's desperation three fell short as time expired as MU dropped its second straight game to the Knights.

MU shot just 25 percent from the floor in the second half while Calvin was not much better, making just 28 percent of its shots in the second frame.

Following the Christmas holiday Madonna returns to the court next Tuesday (Dec. 29) in a 1pm matinee at NCAA Division II member Wayne State University before opening up the home portion of the 2009-10 slate with a game against Mercyhurst the following afternoon with tip-off slated for 3pm.

NOTES
* After seeing her streak of games scoring in double-figures snapped at Cedarville, junior guard Tabatha Wydryck posted 18 points against the Knights.
* McGrath continued to impress, registering her seventh double-figures scoring performance in the first 10 games of the season.
* MU is now 1-4 against Calvin all-time, dropping the last two games in the series.
* The Crusaders' six losses this season have all come against ranked teams on the road or a neutral court:
Nov. 17, 82-70 at No. 1-ranked (NCAA Div. III) Hope
Nov. 20, 72-64 at then No. 14 Indiana Wesleyan
Nov. 21, 75-60 vs. then No. 8 Bethel (at Ind. Wesleyan)
Dec. 11, 76-65 at No. 14 St. Ambrose
Dec. 20, 81-61 at No. 11 Cedarville
Dec. 22, 59-56 at No. 19 (NCAA Div. III) Calvin

Contact: Patrick Moore (734) 432-5834