Site: Livonia, Mich. (Activities Center)
Score: No. 25 Aquinas College 49, Madonna University 45
Records: MU 8-13 (4-5 WHAC); AQ 17-7 (7-2 WHAC)
Next MU event: Saturday Feb. 6 at No. 2 Davenport (Grand Rapids, Mich.)

BOX SCORE

LIVONIA, Mich. (MadonnaCrusaders.com) - -In a low-scoring and sloppy affair that saw both sides combine for just a 26 percent shooting night from the floor, it was the No. 25-ranked Aquinas College Saints coming away with a 49-45 victory over the Madonna University women's basketball team on Wednesday night (Feb. 3) inside the Activities Center.

Just three combined players reached double figures with sophomore Erin Bentley (Monroe, Mich.) leading the way for Madonna with 10 points. Junior Tabatha Wydryck (Wyandotte, Mich.) led the way for the Crusaders on the glass, pulling in 14 boards in a losing effort. Kaitlyn Lang and Taelor Sanders led all players with 11 markers each.

MU pulled even in the early going, making it an 8-8 game on a free throw from junior Katie Mount (Waterford, Mich.) with 16:07 left in the half. The Crusaders went up three on a triple from Bentley before trading buckets with the Saints over the ensuing 12 minutes and a three by Joslyn Narber put the Saints on top for good in the half and sent the two sides to the locker room with AQ on top 27-24 after 20 minutes.

The see-saw affair continued into the second half with neither side holding a lead of more than six and that was a 39-33 MU lead thanks to a Bentley free throw with 9:18 left. After AQ cut the Madonna lead to just one (39-38) with just under eight minutes to go on a Sanders three but Wydryck answered back with a three of her own to put the home side back up four.

A 5-0 run by the Saints put the visitors on top 43-42 with 5:58 to go before Liza Flewelling hit a three to put AQ up four at 46-42 with 2:52 left. 

Another Wydryck three made it a one point game at 46-45 with 2:24 to go. Sanders then drove the lane, made the basket and was fouled to put AQ back up by four at 49-45 and the Saints held on for the four point win and a season sweep of the Crusaders.

Madonna returns to the road for its next game, traveling to Grand Rapids to take on No. 2-ranked Davenport in a 1pm tip-off on Saturday (Feb. 6)

QUOTES
Head Coach Carl Graves
On the way his team performed tonight:
"It was a poor offensive display by both teams actually. I don't know if we can shoot any worse than we did tonight. It was really a poor effort on our part in terms of our intensity level to try and win a critical basketball game."

On what the team needs to do to get ready for the challenge of No. 2-ranked Davenport:
"We have to spend more time watching tape, trying to understand exactly what we are trying to do. I think sometimes we get caught up in the moment and we just want to ‘push-push, play-play'. We have got to a better job of being able to close out the game. Our kids are super smart and we've just got to put some of that to use. We had some not very intelligent plays tonight and we are going to watch some tape to try and educate ourselves on Madonna."

Contact: Patrick Moore (734) 432-5834