HIGHLIGHTS
DEARBORN, Mich. – Macomb Women's Basketball shook off a slow start and poured it on to defeat Henry Ford by a 73-56 final Saturday (Feb. 11). The Monarchs made a season-high 17 3-pointers in the road win over the Hawks to improve to 15-6 overall and 5-4 in the MCCAA East.
The Hawks fell to 1-8 in the MCCAA East and 3-19 overall after suffering the 17-point setback to the Monarchs.
Both teams started slow before
Kamryn Richards (Grosse Pointe Park, Mich./Grosse Pointe South) dropped in a 3-pointer for the game's first field goal with 3:15 remaining on the first quarter clock. The Monarchs defense was stingy from the jump and held the Hawks to four points in the first quarter for an early 10-4 lead.
The Monarchs started to heat up in the second quarter as
Rayonna Armstrong (Toledo, Ohio/Notre Dame Academy) made three 3-pointers in the frame to help give the Blue & White a 30-16 advantage at the half.
In the second half,
Amy Jackson (Flat Rock, Mich./Flat Rock) and
Rylee Thomas (Harrison Twp., Mich./L'Anse Creuse) caught fire as the pair made eight of their combined 11 3-pointers in the final 20 minutes to help propel the Monarchs to the 73-56 victory. Jackson tallied seven 3-pointers for the second time in four games, and for the fourth time in her career, to lead the Monarchs with 22 points. Thomas finished with 14 points and did so on four 3-pointers to go along with a tough bucket down low.
Richards followed Jackson and Thomas in double figures with 11 points (3 3PM).
On top of her game-high 22 points, Jackson also led the Monarchs in assists with five and added three steals.
Valina Hudgins (Warren, Mich./Lincoln) was a force on the glass all afternoon on her way to corralling a game-high 12 rebounds (seven offensive). Hudgins' seven offensive boards led to a 15-2 advantage in second chance points for the Monarchs.
Hudgins also added nine points and a team-best four steals in one of her best games of the season.
As a team, the Monarchs assisted on 21 of their 25 shots to finish with 20-or-more assists for the eighth time this season.
The Monarchs remain home for a pivotal MCCAA East contest against the Bears of Mott Community College Wednesday (Feb. 15) at 5:30 p.m.
