PRESQUE ISLE, ME
UMPI's long, rebuilding season came to a conclusion with a loss against VTSU-Lyndon on Saturday afternoon. The Owls took the floor without their leading scorer, Aleyah Matheson, but still fought hard to stay in the game, and gave Lyndon everything they had in the first half but couldn't keep pace in the second as Lyndon began to hit their shots. In the end it was a 65-41 win for the Hornets who snap a five game skid as they head to the NAC playoffs.
How it Happened:
It was a less-than-ideal start for the Owls who gave up the first 11 points falling behind quickly by double digits. But instead of rolling over, the Owls fought hard despite their odds. The Owls outscored Lyndon 12-2 over the rest of the quarter and went into the second in a much better spot, down just 15-12. In the second, Lyndon scored the first three points, to go up by six, but UMPI kept it close with their relentless defense to keep Lyndon off the scoreboard. All the while, scoring when they could and at the 2:29 mark, Camryn Ala buried a three-pointer to make it 22-20. Some costly fouls at the end of the frame made it 27-20 Lyndon going into halftime, but the Owls were still within reach.
After a frustrating first half shooting the basketball which saw Lyndon go just 10-38 from the field, the floodgates opened at the end of the third. Lyndon grew it to 35-26 with 6:53 left in the frame, and then outscored UMPI 17-3 the rest of the quarter, grabbing a 52-29 lead after three. That lead was all Lyndon would need as they slowed down in scoring again but made nothing easy for UMPI. In the end, Lyndon came away with the 65-41 victory.
Top Performers:
Lindsay Hamilton had one of her best games of the year, scoring 17 points and grabbing 17 rebounds. That rebound mark set a single game career high for Lindsay and the highest of anyone on the Owls this season. Nevaeh Bello had another solid game pouring in 11 points and six rebounds along with three assists. Camryn Ala had seven points, five rebounds, and six assists as she wraps up a great career for UMPI.
A Season Concludes:
It's no secret that the Owls endured one of their most challenging seasons in recent years as Head Coach Mark Knight looks to rebuild the program. One theme emerged through the hardships: the Owls no-quit attitude is one that can take them to new heights as new pieces arrive next year. Coach Knight's philosophy and never rolling over is the perfect building block for the UMPI Women's program. They finish at 3-21 with all three of their wins coming at home, highlighted by a dominant win of VTSU-Johnson on the second-to-last night of the year.
