Saturday afternoon in Centreville, Michigan, the Marian University Ancilla women's basketball team needed all 40 minutes to find their first win in the last five games, defeating Glen Oaks, 59-51. With most of the team statistics similar across the board, the Chargers were able to take advantage of the 19-8 foul differential and score 6 more points from the charity stripe late in the game to claim victory.
The Chargers came out on a mission early in the game, leading by double figures almost immediately. Glen Oaks trimmed the lead to 18-11 after one quarter, but MUAC was able to extend that lead once again during the early portions of the second quarter, making the lead as large as 12 to 14 points on different occasions. Again, the Vikings fought back, feeding off of a series of Charger turnovers, cutting the lead to 30-22. But Marian Ancilla found the bucket one last time before halftime and led 32-22 at the break.
The third quarter was rough on the Chargers, as they only scored 5 points in the period due to a combination of turnovers and missed shots. Fortunately, their defense was still present, only allowing 12 points in the third, so they maintained a narrow 37-34 lead heading into the final stanza.
Late in the third quarter and early in the fourth, Glen Oaks guard Amanda Barber got hot from behind the 3-point line, and when she knocked down one of her 6 made 3-pointers to put the Vikings ahead, 48-46, momentum seemed to swing in their favor. However, on the very next possession, Charger Freshman Nasiya Gause grabbed an offensive rebound, immediately dribbled to the 3-point line, turned, fired, and buried one of her own, putting MUAC back on top, 49-48.
Including that shot, the Chargers outscored the Vikings 13-3 to end the game, with Gause and fellow Freshman Bella Mahan knocking down 6 free throws during that stretch. The Chargers moved to 11-10 on the season and 3-5 in the MCCAA Western Division.
Charger Head Coach Ryan Gould seemed relieved following the game, stating "it was nice to get back in the win column. It was even better to do it that way and to see the fight in our team late in the game. We led for a while, and when they took the lead in the 4th quarter, it definitely got uncomfortable. But I am proud of how our toughness and desire to win really showed up."
Gause led the Chargers with 21 points, 5 assists, and 3 rebounds. Mahan continued her strong play with 17 points and 6 rebounds, including burying 5-12 shots from deep. Sophomore Derriauna Woodson put together a solid game inside as well, scoring 8 points and collecting 8 caroms.
The Vikings' Barber led all scorers with 22 points, including a 6-9 shooting performance from 3-point range. Lilyana Coleman led Glen Oaks with 10 rebounds, while Kylie Quist topped the Vikings with 4 assists.
The Chargers are back in action with two home outings this week. Wednesday, they host Lansing in a conference double-header. Tip time is set for 5:30 p.m. ET, with the men set to follow. Then Thursday, the women's team has a game against Andrews University set to start at 6:00 p.m. ET at Charger Arena. Please come out and support the Chargers!!
