Grace opens season with dominant win
WINONA LAKE, Ind. – Grace’s women’s basketball used a combination of suffocating defense and a blistering shooting percentage to run away with a 93-51 victory over Michigan Dearborn on Saturday evening.
Karlee Feldman had a sterling performance as she stuffed the stat sheet in the season opening win. The junior forward finished with 28 points, 15 rebounds and 5 blocks.
After surrendering an early 3-point basket, Feldman scored the Lady Lancers’ first points of the season and Grace never looked back. Feldman scored six points as the Lady Lancers raced out to a 10-3 lead.
After missing last year due to injury, Kate Rulli checked into the game at the midpoint of the quarter and scored to push Grace’s lead to 12.
Newcomers Molly Long and Jenna Blakley teamed up for a basket late in the quarter and Grace took a commanding 16-point lead into the second quarter.
Kiersten Findley scored first for Grace in the second frame and the Lady Lancer’s suffocating defense helped extend their lead. The Wolverines were held without a made field goal for the first 9:35 of the quarter.
Maddie Ryman scored a quick seven-points for Grace and Feldman poured in another basket as Grace pushed their lead as high as 30.
Kate Schlatter and Bekah Marshall knocked in back-to-back free throws and Kaylee Patton hit from beyond the arc to send Grace into the half with a 44-19 lead.
Nine Lady Lancers registered points in the first half and Feldman and Ryman both topped double digits. Ryman nabbed three steals.
Grace scored 22 points in the paint and held a 25-20 advantage on the boards.
In the second half the Lady Lancers continued to assert their dominance on the Wolverines. Grace scored on 11 of their first 12 possessions to start the third quarter.
Feldman was a force in the quarter with 8 points, 3 blocks and 3 rebounds. Blakley was a spark off the bench contributing five points. Grace shot 65 percent in the quarter.
Blakey started the final frame by connecting on her first 3-point shot as a Lady Lancer.
Grace continued to pad their lead and a layup from Peyton Murphy followed by a score from Rulli pushed the Lady Lancers’ lead to its highest mark of the game at 45 and Grace played out the remaining minutes of a 93-51 lead.
12 players registered minutes in the game and five Lady Lancers scored in double digits. Grace outscored Dearborn 58-24 in the paint and won the rebounding margin by an impressive 52-33 mark. Grace shot 52 percent from the floor.
Rulli just missed a double-double with seven rebounds to go along with her 10 points. Findley had 12 points and Ryman added five steals.
“It’s always exciting to get that first win of the year,” said Grace head coach Dan Davis. “The thing that really stood out to me tonight was the depth and balance that we had as a team. This is the kind of performance that we want to have as the season progresses.”
Grace will be back in action on Tuesday when they host Holy Cross at 6 p.m.