The Kalamazoo College women's basketball team lost a heartbreaker 58-57 at the Nan Nichols Tournament in Wooster to John Carroll. John Carroll is coming off a season where it went 22-5 and advanced to the school's first ever NCAA tournament. The Blue Streaks are just outside of the top 25 right now and the Hornets pushed them to the very brink.
Kalamazoo led at halftime 28-26 and extended the lead to 41-34 about six minutes into the second half. The Blue Streaks regained the lead 44-43 late in the second half and after that the two teams more or less traded baskets for the final nine minutes. The Hornets led 57-56 with 46 seconds left on the clock but fouled John Caroll with 13 seconds left and after sinking two free throws the Blue Streaks were able to hold on for the 58-57 victory.
Perri Nicholson and Kelsey Adamski had a huge day – combining for 20 points, 10 blocks, six steals, and 15 rebounds. Querubin Dubois had the hot hand hitting six of ten from the field for 14 points. Hannah Maness also had a solid day with seven points and six rebounds.
Despite the loss, this was still a positive way for the Hornets to open the season. They showed they were more than capable of beating one of the top 40 teams in the country away from home. The game should prove to be a great motivator despite the outcome. This easily could have been a Hornet victory with better shooting and fewer turnovers.
Kalamazoo will have an opportunity to break into the win column tomorrow afternoon when they play against tournament host Wooster.