Second Quarter Slump Gives Bobcats Second Loss at ICC Holiday Classic
After a tough opening round loss in the Illinois Central Classic Holiday Tournament, the Bryant & Stratton College women's basketball team failed to bounce back as they came up short...
WAUWATOSA, WI (December 29, 2018) - After a tough opening round loss in the Illinois Central Classic Holiday Tournament, the Bryant & Stratton College women's basketball team failed to bounce back in game two as they came up short against the Sauk Valley Skyhawks 81-76 down the stretch.
The Bobcats defeated the Skyhawks earlier in the season 78-62 on November 16.
The loss drops the Bobcats to 10-7 overall and 5-4 in region play.
Getting off to a strong start, Bryant & Stratton led 19-8 with three minutes left in the first quarter.
"We came out with a lot of energy right from the jump," Bobcats head coach Jeff Lorenz said. "I was most proud of how we competed every possession defensively and made it very tough on them to score."
Despite the solid play through the first seven minutes, Sauk Valley responded putting together an 11-3 run and trailed just 23-19 to start the second quarter.
Throughout the second quarter, the Skyhawks took control as they outscored the Bobcats 30-13 and led 49-36 at the break.
"We lost our rhythm in the second quarter," Lorenz said. "Sometimes you have to give your opponent credit though. Sauk Valley crashed the boards and picked up their play on the defensive end."
Staying positive, the Bobcats slowly chipped away at the deficit as they reduced the gap down to four (59-55) with four minutes left in the game after freshman guard, Taynique Hawthorne, drove down the lane for a much needed basket.
"Our comeback was a result of our hustle on both sides of the ball," Lorenz said.
After multiple possessions in the remaining minutes, Bryant & Stratton saw themselves trailing by five (76-71) with 40 seconds remaining.
With the clock against them, the Bobcats were forced to foul putting Sauk Valley at the charity stripe. The Skyhawks solid free throw shooting down the stretch increased the deficit giving the Bobcats their second straight loss of the classic.
Hawthorne led the way for the Bobcats dropping 18 points followed by freshman guard, Kiyanna Rodgers, with 17 points.
Sophomore veteran, Ja'Taviah Conley, added 15 points and eight boards off of the bench.
The Bobcats shot on 29.9% from the field and matched a season low 12.5% from beyond the arc.
UP NEXT:
Bryant & Stratton will close out the ICC Classic Sunday morning at 10am as they square off against Carl Sandburg College for another region iv match.
The Bobcats defeated Carl Sandburg in a resounding 83-55 score last season.
The three day ICC Classic is hosted by Illinois Central College located Peoria, IL.
Spectators can view the game live on the OFFICIAL YOUTUBE CHANNEL.