Dec. 31, 2009

Final Stats

ADRIAN, Mich. - The women's basketball team remained perfect at home (4-0) and snapped a four-game skid on Thursday closing out 2009 with a 71-64 win over Earlham. The Bulldogs returned home for the first time since Dec. 2 and shot very well in the second half to pull away from the Quakers (1-9).

Adrian led 27-21 at halftime but let a 12-point lead shrink to six as Earlham used a 6-0 run to close out the first half. AC had a strong first half defensively holding EC to 23.1 percent shooting from the floor including 0-of-8 from behind the arc.

Earlham tied the game in the second half at the 16:26 mark on a pair of Starr Gary free throws. The Quakers took a brief one-point lead at 36-35 at the 15:16 mark on a pair of Nikki Darrett free throws. Adrian took control of the game just past the midway point of the second half. The Bulldogs used a 14-4 run to break a 45-45 tie at the 10:44 mark and led 59-49 with 7:03 to play. Ashley McClarren and Katie Ross had a couple of baskets to propel the Bulldogs and Ross hit back-to-back triples to extend the lead to 62-49 with 6:31 to go.

Earlham cut the lead to seven by the final buzzer as Adrian was in control of the game after their big run. Adrian shot 58.3 percent in the second half from the floor and connected on 4-of-7 behind the arc. AC also shot 12-of-14 from the charity stripe in the second half. EC shot 44.1 percent in the second half and were 5-of-11 from deep.

McClarren and Jennifer Perrin each had 19 points to lead the Bulldogs. McClarren was 7-of-13 from the field and 5-of-6 at the line. She recorded a double-double with 10 rebounds and also had four assists, three steals and two blocks in 35 minutes. Perrin was 8-of-13 from the field and grabbed three boards in 31 minutes. Jenn Headley added 11 points and nine rebounds in 30 minutes. Adrian had 16 second-chance points and outrebounded Earlham, 40-37, with 12 offensive boards.