ADRIAN, Mich.-- The Adrian College women's basketball team dropped its last home game of the 2022-23 season at Merillat Sport and Fitness Center against Hope College 84-54 Wednesday evening. Junior Julia Tierman led the Bulldogs with 15 points after shooting 60% from the field.  
 
How It Happened 
 
The Bulldogs were hot right out of the opening tip-off as they knocked down their first four shots as a team to take a 9-2 lead in the first. During the opening run, Kourtney Crawford, Jordan Phillips , and Makayla Clement would score buckets for the Bulldogs. Later in the first quarter, Hope College would respond to the fast start by the Bulldogs and would eventually double up the women's basketball team at 30-15 to end the first quarter of play.
 
During the second, the Bulldogs held their own and would only be outscored by four in the  quarter. The Bulldog's defensive adjustments had dropped Hope College's field goal percentage to nearly in half from 60% in the first to 33.33% in the second. The Bulldogs would find themselves down by 16 with 9:32 remaining in the third quarter. Looking for an answer, the women's basketball team rallied behind Wernette and Tierman, as the duo would cut the deficit to nine with 6:31 remaining in the quarter. Wernette would drill a three pointer off an assist from Jordan Phillips with less than 7:30 remaining in the quarter. After a steal by Bailey Taylor, Tierman would knock down a jumper to pull the Bulldogs within nine, with six and a half to go in the half. With the defensive adjustments in the second quarter, along with converting six free throws, the women's basketball team entered halftime with some momentum heading into the third.     
 
Despite the rally at the end of the first half, the Dutch would take back the momentum and ran away in the second half. The Bulldogs would be outscored 33-22 in the final two quarters. Hope College would record 40 points in the paint and saw 30 points from their reserves tonight. In contrast, the Bulldogs scored 16 of their own in the paint, recorded 14 points off of turnovers, and cashed in on 16 fast break points. 


Top Dawgs
 
Tierman would lead the Bulldogs tonight after her 6-10 performance from the field scoring 15 on the night. Additionally, the senior Wernette and the sophomore Clement combined for 17 points. Clement also recorded a game high 4 steals in tonight's loss, tying her career best for her third time in steals which she previously set last season. Over her past seven games, Clement has recorded at least one steal and has been averaging 2.14 steals per contest. 
 
Jordan Phillips All-Time Three-Point Made Tracker
 
Entering tonight's matchup, the junior Phillips had made 44 three-pointers and sat two threes from claiming the 10th spot by herself in all-time threes made in a season by a Bulldog. After today's 1-4 performance from long range, the junior Phillips sits one three pointer shy from claiming the 10th place position in the all-time three pointers made list for Adrian College women's basketball. When Phillips cracks into the top 10 in three pointers, it will be her second category in which she is listed under the top 10 in program history. Earlier this season, Phillips entered the top 10 in three point percentage against Alma College on January 18. When Phillips eclipses her 45th three, she will join Adrian College women's basketball alumna Marcy Hiner (1991-95), Sarah Vincke (1999-03), Nichole Roose (2004-08), Katie Ross (2008-12), Casey Fougerousse (2011-14), and Marissa Cotton (2013-17) to sit simultaneously in the top 10 of all-time three-point field goals made and three-point field goal percentage.     
 
MIAA Tournament Implications 
 
With one game remaining in the women's basketball 2022-23 season, the Bulldogs are currently 6-9 in conference play, and trail Alma College by a .5 a game. Alma College currently holds a record of 6-8. At the time this article was written Alma led Albion College with less than a minute to go in the fourth , 61-58. 
 
Up Next
 
The women's basketball team will travel to Angola, Indiana to conclude the 2022-23 regular season against Trine University on Saturday, February 18, at 1:00 PM.