The Marian University Ancilla women's basketball team returned to conference play Saturday afternoon, as they hosted Kalamazoo Valley in the MCCAA tilt. The Chargers came out energetic and explosive offensively, outscoring Kalamazoo Valley 16-2 before the Cougars knocked down a free throw with 2:23 remaining in the first quarter. From there, it was an even game most of the way, with the Chargers maintaining a lead throughout. The Chargers extended their lead to as many as 19 points on a couple of occasions, but the Cougars trimmed it to nine points midway through the second half, before MUAC extended it to double digits once again and kept it there until the final buzzer.

Freshman wing De'Mour Watson once again paced the Chargers with 29 points on 12-14 shooting, plus she pulled down 13 rebounds in the victory. Freshman guard Nasiya Gause had one of her best games of the season, scoring 16 points on 7-11 shooting, including 2-3 from 3-point range, plus she handed out 4 assists. Freshman wing Bella Mahan also scored in double figures with 11 points, including a 3-6 performance from long range. She added 3 rebounds and a pair of assists as well.

Kalamazoo Valley received balanced efforts throughout their roster. Alyssa Thompson (11 points), Cierra Nord (11 points), and Katrise Hudson (10 points) all scored in double figures for the Cougars. Hudson posted a double-double with her 10 rebounds, plus she led the Cougars with 4 assists. Thompson and Nord were each 3-7 from beyond the arc.

The crowd was electric, and everyone noticed, including Head Coach Ryan Gould, "I first want to thank the big crowd we had today...from the students, to the Sisters, administration, and professors in attendance, it was noticeable and we fed off of that energy early in the game. We got a little sloppy in the third quarter, but we made shots down the stretch and got our second conference win of the season."

The Charger women's basketball team heads back on the road Monday evening for a makeup game at Southwestern Michigan. It will be their third game in five days and is in the middle of a 5-game/10-day stretch for the Chargers. Tip time is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. ET with the men to follow. Please come out and support the Chargers!!