Site: Grand Rapids, Mich. (Ford Fieldhouse)
Score: Aquinas College 76, Madonna University 70
Records: MU 4-10 (0-2 WHAC); AC 12-5 (2-0 WHAC)
Next MU event: Wednesday, January 13 vs. Davenport (Activities Center)

BOX SCORE

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (MadonnaCrusaders.com) - - An 25-7 run midway through the second half by Aquinas was too much for the Madonna University women's basketball team to overcome as the Crusaders fell 76-70 on Saturday (Jan. 9) inside Ford Fieldhouse.

Junior Tabatha Wydryck (Wyandotte, Mich.) led Madonna with 17 points to go along with nine rebounds. Senior Kim Olech (Canton, Mich.) added 15 points and 10 rebounds for her second double-double of the season while sophomore Erin Bentley (Monroe, Mich.) and freshman Shantelle Herring (Macomb, Mich.) joined Olech and Wydryck in double figures with 13 and 10 points respectively. Joslyn Narber led all players with 23 points for the Saints.

Early on the two sides traded the lead before an 11-2 Madonna run put the Crusaders in front by nine at 18-9 with 14:37 left in the half. The Crusaders expanded their lead out to as much as 14 points in the half before the Saints were able to trim their deficit down to just one at 35-34 with 2:36 left in the first 20 minutes.

A three from Wydryck put MU back up by four before an Olech score and a jumper from Bentley pushed the Crusader' cushion to six at 42-36 heading into halftime.

The Crusaders scored the first four points of the second half to go up by 10 (46-36) and built out a 16-point lead at 56-40 with 13:03 to go thanks to six points from Olech and a lay in from sophomore Heather Goodwin (Temperance, Mich.).

Over the next 8:21 on the game clock the Saints went on a 25-7 run capped by a three from April Feldpausch to go from down 16 to up two at 65-63 with 4:42 left in the game. The Saints did not allow the Crusaders to get any closer from that point, closing the last 13 minutes of the game on a 36-14 run to take the six-point win, 76-70 in come from behind fashion.

The Crusaders go in search for their first conference win of the season on Wednesday night (Jan. 13) when the No. 1 ranked Panthers of Davenport come to the Activities Center for a 7:30pm tip. The game will be carried live on the Crusader Radio Network starting at 7:25pm.

NOTES
* Madonna is now 16-21 all-time against Aquinas
* Erin Bentley reached double figures for the first time in her last six games.
* Tabatha Wydryck reached double figures for the ninth time this season and for the third straight game after being held scoreless at Wayne State (Dec. 30).
* Wydryck now needs just 180 points to become the ninth 1,000-point scorer in program history.
* Kim Olech registered her second double-double of the season.
* Madonna falls to 3-8 in true road game this season.
* MU is now 3-3 this season when scoring 65 or more points in a game.
* The Madonna starting five accounted for 63 of the Crusaders' points

Contact: Patrick Moore (734) 432-5834