(Grand Rapids, MI) – Concordia women's basketball faced off against Aquinas in the opening round of the WHAC conference tournament. The teams split their regular season meetings with the Cardinals winning the most recent matchup 59-42 in Ann Arbor. CUAA jumped out to an early lead, but the Saints were able to pull away to secure a 63-44 win.
Katie Snow (JR/Grosse Pointe Woods, MI) led Concordia with 13 points in the game. Tris'styn Williams (JR/New Baltimore, MI) finished with 10 points and a team-high 8 rebounds.
Tris'styn Williams won the opening tip-off for Concordia and drained a short jumper to open scoring. Williams added another basket and Katie Snow made a pair of free throws for a 6-0 lead. Aquinas responded with 6 unanswered points to tie the game at the 5:24 mark. Katie Snow put the Cardinals back ahead with a free throw, but the Saints ended the quarter on a 7-1 run to lead 13-8 after the 1st.
Katie Snow made a layup in the paint for the first basket in the 2nd. Snow added an offensive putback as well, but Aquinas took their largest lead of the 1st half with a 22-12 advantage at the 5:31 mark. Tris'styn Williams made a layup to end the run and Asaria Turman (FR/Ypsilanti, MI) scored in the paint later in the quarter. Katie Snow continued to pace her team with two more baskets and the Cardinals trailed 27-20 at halftime.
Aquinas began the 3rd quarter on an 8-0 run. J'may Simmons (JR/Clinton Township, MI) stopped the run with a fast break layup and Katie Snow added an offensive putback. Paige Johnson (SO/Howell, MI) knocked down a triple at the 2:49 mark, but the Saints continued to hold on to a double-digit lead. CUAA trailed 45-29 after the 3rd.
Tris'styn Williams made a bankshot to open scoring in the 4th. Williams added another basket in the paint and Lindsey Ferrington (FR/Flint, MI) drilled a 3-pointer as the Cardinals made one last comeback effort. Madison Birchmeier (FR/Corunna, MI) and Aly Lenz (SO/Fenton, MI) sank triples as the quarter went on, but Aquinas continued to maintain their lead. As the final buzzer sounded, Concordia fell by a final score of 63-44.
