The Marian University Ancilla women's basketball team took to the road for the third straight game Saturday, traveling to Oakland Community College in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The Chargers won the first and third quarters, but lost the game by a 68-56 tally.
The Chargers came out early and played tough defense, allowing them to get several easy scores in transition. After one period, it was 20-16 Marian Ancilla. The second quarter saw similar play, with the Chargers leading by a 29-22 margin with about four minutes remaining in the half. Then, the Raiders went on a 14-0 run to claim a 36-29 lead, before Charger Freshman De'Mour Watson knocked down a pair of free throws with a tenth of a second remaining, putting the score at 36-31 Oakland entering halftime.
The third quarter saw an inspired Charger team once again come out and play sticky defense, winning that quarter 16-14 and cutting the Raider lead to just three points at 50-47. The fourth quarter was tight throughout, but then the Raiders managed another late surge to put the final margin at 12 points.
Watson continued her strong play this season, leading all scorers with 32 points, plus she hauled in an impressive 20 rebounds, 8 of which came at the offensive end of the floor. Sophomore Samaria Freeman added 9 points and 7 rebounds to the effort, and Sophomore Derriauna Woodson was an efficient 4-7 from the field, scoring 8 points, plus she pulled down 5 caroms of her own. Oakland got 20 points from Lizzie Liedel, 17 points from Mackenzie Stein, and 11 points from Abbi Dykstra.
Head Coach Ryan Gould commented, "I thought we did a better job today of staying out of foul trouble, but we still need to get more balance throughout our lineup. Unless we play near-perfect defense, it's tough when three players combine for 49 of our 56 points. We come back Tuesday against a good Clark State team, but we have been much better playing at home, so I am excited to see what we can do in our second matchup with them this season."
The Chargers have one more game remaining before they break for the holidays. They are back in action at home at Charger Arena on Tuesday, December 19th, when they take on Clark State College in a rematch from November 1st. Tip time is set for 2:00 p.m. ET, so if you are in the area, please come out and support the Chargers!!
