CSR (Women's Basketball Defeats Saint Mary's 64-58 in MIAA Opener)

CALVIN SPORTS REPORT FOR DEC. 11, 2009

Women's Basketball Defeats Saint Mary's in MIAA Opener

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Calvin 64, Saint Mary's 58
(written by sports information student assistant Derek Neice)

On a frigid Friday evening on Calvin’s campus as students prepare for exams
next week, the fiery women’s basketball team came out and defeated Saint
Mary’s 64-58 in a tough conference contest. Freshman Carissa Verkaik again
led the team in points, rebounds and blocks, nearly getting a triple double.

The game pushed 19th ranked Calvin’s already strong record to 8-1, and gave
some retribution to the Knights who had lost three straight games to the Belles
last season, including a game that knocked Calvin out of the MIAA tournament.

Friday’s game, which Calvin won 64-58, featured some tough defense on both
ends of the floor. Both teams also emphasized the importance of getting the
ball in to the post players. The strategy worked, except for a number of
miscues in the passing game for the Knights, and they maintained an early lead
all the way through the break as well as the second half.

“The senior leadership has been phenomenal so far,” said Calvin coach John
Ross after the game when asked about his team’s hot start to the season.
“The kids get along really well and we’ve had some good performances
from a lot of people.”

In the first half both teams felt each other out as the scoring was held to a
minimum. Calvin eventually took a tentative lead, but the Belles battled back,
and with only a couple minutes left in the half, they were in front 31-29.
Calvin then got some clutch free throws from senior Amber Benthem (McBain, MI)
and a superb transition lay-up by sophomore Jill Thomas (Grand Rapids, MI) to
give Calvin a one-point lead.

On the ensuing Belles possession the ball was turned over and Calvin had time
for one more shot, one that freshman sensation Carissa Verkaik (Holland, MI)
took from well beyond the three point arc. The shot came up just short,
clanking off the rim, but Calvin took the lead into the break. Verkaik led the
Knights in first half points with 11, as well as 4 blocks.

“She’s just an outstanding person who comes and plays hard every day,”
said Ross of freshman Carissa Verkaik. “She’s a competitor who knows the
game of basketball real well and she’s doing a phenomenal for us on the
boards.”

In the second half the tempo again took a little while to get going, but
Calvin eventually found their niche, and they took advantage of a 10-0 run to
go up 56-43, a lead they would hold through the buzzer despite a minor comeback
by Saint Mary’s in the closing minutes.

“They’ve had our number in previous years,” said Ross of Calvin’s
rivalry with the Belles. “Tonight was pretty big for us this early in the
year.”

For the Belles, sophomore Kelley Murphy (Olathe, KS) led the team with 17
points and 11 boards. The rest of the scoring was divvied up pretty evenly
among the remaining players on the Belles lineup. Verkaik finished the game
with 15 points, 20 boards, and 9 blocks, just one shy of a triple double.
Other notable performers for Calvin included Brook Van Eck (Lowell, MI) who had
10 points and 8 rebounds, and Benthem, who finished with 11 points. Senior
Emily Ottenhoff and freshman Allison Wolffis added eight points apiece with
Ottenhoff collecting five assists.

Calvin is back in action Saturday at 3 p.m. in another conference battle
against Kalamazoo at home at the Van Noord Arena.

EMILY OTTENHOFF POST-GAME INTERVIEW:
http://www.calvin.edu/sports/audio/09/wbball/EmilyOttenhoff121109.mp3
Received on Sat Dec 12 00:36:22 2009