KALAMAZOO, Mich. - The Kalamazoo College women's basketball team fell 66-60 in a hard-fought battle against Olivet on Thursday evening inside Anderson Athletic Center.
Kalamazoo cut into an early Olivet lead halfway through the first quarter, tying the game up at 8-8. Both sides traded baskets before the Hornets were able to pull away with a 15-13 lead at the end of the first quarter. Outscoring the visiting Comets 17-8 in the second frame, Kalamazoo took a 34-23 advantage into halftime. The Hornets shot 8-of-16 (50 percent) from three-point range in the first half.
Kalamazoo led by as many as 14 (38-24) early in the third quarter, but Olivet cut into its deficit in the final frame, outscoring the Hornets 25-13. Olivet tied the game at 60-60 with 2:51 remaining, helped along by back-to-back threes from Sydnee Dennis. Kalamazoo was unable to get any closer in the final minutes as the Comets went on a 15-0 scoring run.
Kalamazoo shot 18-of-65 from the field while connecting on 10-of-31 three-pointers. The Hornet defense out-rebounded Olivet 59-46. Olivet was helped down the stretch with 19 points off Kalamazoo turnovers and 12-of-35 (34 percent) shooting in the second half.
Isabelle Clark led the scoring attack for the Hornets with 16 points and eight rebounds, while Juanita Ledesma tallied 12 points and nine rebounds, both players just shy of a double-double. Clark shot 4-of-11 from long range, just one basket shy of tying her career-high.
Christiana Hunt collected a team-high 11 rebounds and added nine points.
The Hornets return to action on the road on Saturday, Feb. 13 against Adrian College at 3 p.m.