Emotional Senior Day Ends in Win for Eagles
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
13 | 19 | 16 | 20 | 68 |
|
|
11 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 53 |
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
13 | 5 | 4 | 18 | 40 |
|
|
12 | 10 | 17 | 18 | 57 |
Team Stats
Ozark Christian College
| Game Statistics | Ozark Christian College | Faith Baptist Bible College |
|---|---|---|
| Field Goals | (27-57) | (20-49) |
| Field Goal % | 47.4% | 40.8% |
| Rebounds | 28 | 32 |
| Assists | 14 | 9 |
| Turnovers | 11 | 20 |
| Pts off Turnovers | 15 | 10 |
| 2nd Chance Pts | 3 | 11 |
| Pts in the Paint | 40 | 34 |
| Fastbreak Pts | 0 | 0 |
| Bench Pts | 23 | 6 |
Calvary University
| Game Statistics | Calvary University | Faith Baptist Bible College |
|---|---|---|
| Field Goals | (14-62) | (24-55) |
| Field Goal % | 22.6% | 43.6% |
| Rebounds | 34 | 43 |
| Assists | 7 | 21 |
| Turnovers | 14 | 21 |
| Pts off Turnovers | 7 | 5 |
| 2nd Chance Pts | 7 | 2 |
| Pts in the Paint | 16 | 26 |
| Fastbreak Pts | 2 | 0 |
| Bench Pts | 10 | 13 |
By Jon Crossman
ANKENY, Iowa—Makenna Laib and Rachel Kleczka earned their flowers for the Senior Day celebration on Saturday, starting the game with a standing ovation from both the Faith crowd and visiting Calvary team. Laib, who incurred a devastating injury earlier in the season, was given the chance to score the first basket of the game, spurred on by her supportive teammates and a very understanding Warriors bunch. The Eagles went on to make sure the seniors didn't have their moment spoiled, closing out the Warriors with a 57-40 Senior Day victory.
Prior to the excitement of the Saturday game, the Eagles had a tall task to fulfill on Friday: beating the one conference opponent they had yet to best—the Ambassadors of Ozark Christian. Prior to their matchup, the Eagles were 8-1 in the conference, mowing down every other team except for the tough Ambassadors. Ozark had a field day in their last encounter with Faith, blitzing through the short-handed defense on fast break plays for 40 points off turnovers. The Eagles cleaned it up this time around for a tighter possession, but still found themselves down by eight after the first half.
Ozark knows how to close out a good game, offering a masterclass on shooting in the second half with a 51.5% average against a struggling Eagles zone. The ladies' chance at a comeback fell short with cold shooting in the final quarter, as the team connected on just 3-of-14 shots in the final quarter with the final score of 68-53.
Saturday's Senior Day was a bounce back opportunity for the Eagles, as their last meeting with Calvary ended in an adrenaline-filled finale off a buzzer beater from Mikayla Jones. The big moment provided the needed confidence for the Eagles to prevent the game from getting that close again, as Faith held the Warriors to an average of just over seven points per quarter through the first three quarters of the game. Faith kept their largest lead of the game (21 points) near the conclusion of the third quarter, proving there would be no need for a buzzer-beater this time around.
It was a phenomenal game for the team as a whole to get back up and shake the dust off of the previous loss, with four different Eagles making their way into double digits. Mikayla Jones led with 13 points against her previous team, with Tina Harms (11), Rachel Kleczka (10) and Belle Wirges (10) following closely. Rachel Kleczka kept her double-double streak alive, boxing out for another jaw-dropping 15 rebounds on her Senior Day. Mikayla Jones and Kayla Stephens shared responsibility of making sure the ball got into the right hands, combining for a total of 16 assists for the Eagles.
The Eagles now stand at 9-2 in conference play (14-7 overall), second only to the same Ozark team that has been standing in their way all season. The ladies travel to Maranatha Baptist University on Tuesday for their next game taking on the Sabercats at 2:00 p.m. Faith defeated Maranatha in their last game before Christmas break by a score of 60-54.
