MUAC women roll to postseason with big win

PLYMOUTH — On Tuesday evening, the Marian University Ancilla Women’s Basketball team concluded its regular season with a strong 77-49 win against the Kellogg Bruins.
The win moved the Chargers to 25-4 on the year and 11-3 in MCCAA Western Division play. The 25 wins are a regular-season program record, and the 11 conference wins are a single-season record for the women as well.
The game was rarely in doubt, as the Chargers employed a strict defense from the tip, holding the Bruins to just 8 points in each of the first two quarters, on the way to a 40-16 halftime lead. The third quarter was much of the same, as they stretched the lead to as many as 38 points and led 62-28 with 10 minutes remaining.
All 12 Chargers played, all 12 Chargers scored at least 2 points, and all 12 Chargers grabbed at least one rebound in the victory. Sophomore wing Bella Mahan got hot from the perimeter, knocking down 5-of-8 3-point shots to lead the team with 15 points. Sophomore guard Brooklyn Cooper joined Mahan in double-digit scoring with 10 points, while Sophomore wing De’Mour Watson contributed 12 rebounds to the effort, including four at the offensive end of the floor, plus she handed out five assists.
Sophomore guard Nasiya Gause led the team with six assists, while freshman guard Karleisha Echols added four assists in a reserve role. All in all, the Chargers assisted on 21 of their 30 made baskets. Ironically, they actually shot better from the 3-point line (10-24, 41.7%) than from the free throw line (7-18, 38.9%).
Marian Ancilla moves on to postseason play, where they will take part in the NJCAA Division II Great Lakes District A Championship. Their first playoff game will be a home matchup with Western Division rival Kalamazoo Valley. That game will take place on Tuesday, March 4th, at 5:30 p.m. at the LifePlex. With a win, the Chargers would advance to Friday, March 7th, and that game would be played at Mott Community College in Flint, Michigan, at 4 p.m.