Ups and Downs

By Brodee Gillam

Sports Editor

The women's basketball Stars fell on the road to the Lake Michigan College Red Hawks, 72-67, on Jan. 18.

The loss dropped the Stars' record to 8-7 overall, and to 2-3 in January.

Lake Michigan College's freshman guard Hailey Maas was the main thorn in the Stars' side, scoring 34 points and making 16 of 18 free throws.

LCC Head Coach Ervin Brunson said her ability to drive was the key to her success against the Stars' defense.

"She got to the (paint)," Brunson said. "She was able to convert some threes in the second half that ignited them against us."

Freshman Kelsey Finch kept the Stars close though, with 25 points of her own. Freshman Sarah Schultz chipped in 14 points and eight rebounds for LCC.

Brunson said the offensive focus on Finch was based on her matchup.

"We try to mix it up; change things around based on talent level and who we play," Brunson said. "That particular night I tried to emphasize certain things … but when you have young players sometimes they see things different, so it's a learning process."

LCC sophomore Chasity Potter, who contributed nine rebounds, said the team needs to stay away from foul trouble to be better on the defensive end.

"That's been a big problem in all of our games," Potter said. "Therefore we can't play the defense we want to play. We really want to be playing a man defense but (because of foul trouble) we've been playing a zone, and that really affects us."

LCC still forced the Red Hawks to turn the ball over 21 times.

"We were playing them in a man (defense) until we got in foul trouble, and that pressure when there isn't that many good ball handlers really kills teams," Potter said.

The Stars were scheduled to play at home on Saturday Jan. 21 against Ancilla College.