GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Despite a season-high five players in double figures, the Saint Joseph’s women’s basketball team fell to Central Michigan, 98-84, in the opening game of the Gator Holiday Classic Thursday afternoon at the O’Connell Center.
Redshirt senior forward Chatilla van Grinsven (Helmond, Netherlands/Dr. Kippenberg College) and junior Erin Shields (Drexel Hill, Pa./Archbishop Carroll) combined for 35 points for the Hawks, while junior Ilze Gotfrida(Dobele, Latvia/Rigas Secondary) and redshirt sophomore Ashley Robinson (Warrington, Pa./Archbishop Wood) and Natasha Cloud (Broomall, Pa./Cardinal O’Hara) scored 14, 13 and 11 points respectively.
The Hawks (5-4) will face either the host Florida Gators or Savannah State in the consolation game at 4:30 p.m. on Friday.
Down 47-42 to start the second half, the Hawks started quickly and took a 52-51 lead on a Shields’ three-pointer at 16:42.
Saint Joseph’s held a 56-55 lead on a van Grinsven jumper at 13:45, but the Chippewas would begin to pull away from there. Behind a 15-4 run, Central Michigan opened up a 70-60 advantage with 9:36 to play.
Unfortunately for the Hawks, they’d come no closer than eight points from that point as Central Michigan hit 21-of-29 from the line from there to help close out the game.
In the first half, Central Michigan (5-4) jumped out to a nine-point edge just under four minutes in. A three-pointer by Brandie Baker gave the Chippewas a 13-4 lead at 16:16.
The Hawks fought back to take their first lead midway through the stanza as an 8-0 run saw SJU go from down 23-18 to a 26-23 lead on a layup by Cloud at 9:58.
In a fast-paced final minutes, the Hawks held a 40-38 edge late, but Central Michigan used a 9-2 run over the final 2:21 to take a 47-42 lead into the second frame.
The Hawks finished the day 31-of-70 from the floor (44.3), while the Chippewas hit 27-of-60 (45.0 percent), including 10-of-17 from three-point range (58.8 percent) and hit 34-of-46 from the foul line (73.9 percent). Saint Joseph’s converted 6-of-21 from three-point range (28.6 percent) and hit 16-of-25 from the line (64.0 percent).
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