GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Cornerstone Women's Basketball team concluded their regular season on Tuesday evening against Rochester. After finding themselves in a 15-point deficit at halftime, the team began the second half on a 15-4 scoring run to claw their way back into the game, but the Warriors responded with a strong fourth quarter to seal a 95-82 victory. The loss brings Cornerstone's record to 7-14 overall, 4-9 WHAC heading into Thursday's WHAC quarterfinal, which will see 7th-seed Cornerstone take on 2nd-seed Indiana Tech at 6 p.m. in Fort Wayne.
Senior Day
Prior to the game, Conerstone honored their six seniors
Katrina Goebel,
Brooke Modderman,
Shelby Nyboer,
Sterling DeGayner,
Allyson Richards, and manager Olivia Bartkowiak for their contributions to the Women's Basketball program over the last four seasons. The Facebook Live video for the ceremony is available
here.
Game flow:
- Shelby Nyboer got the game going with a bucket in the first minute of the game.
- Rochester responded with a 13-0 run to establish an 11-point advantage.
- A trio of Cornerstone layups from Shelby Nyboer, Sterling DeGayner, and Kennedy Helderop helped Cornerstone to an 8-0 run to make it 13-10.
- That momentum was quickly whittled away as Rochester scored the game's next ten points and led 25-16 after the first quarter.
- The Golden Eagles couldn't buy a bucket early in the second quarter, as they missed nine straight shot attempts, but finished the quarter by burying six of their final seven field goals to cut Rochester's lead to 50-35 at halftime.
- Cornerstone came out of the locker room and erupted for a 15-4 run to start the third quarter. Maddison Fulks scored eight of those points in a span of only 2:30.
- An And-One bucket from Sterling DeGayner got Cornerstone to within three points with 4:09 to go in the third quarter.
- Rochester ended the quarter on a 5-0 run to take a 69-61 lead into the final quarter.
- The Warriors scored ten straight points in the span of only 90 seconds to start the fourth quarter to build their lead back up to double figures and coasted to a 95-82 victory. Rochester claims the WHAC regular season title and the first seed in the WHAC tournament after going undefeated in conference play.
By the Numbers
25/32 – Cornerstone made a season high 25 free throws out of 32 attempts, which is a season high.
17 –
Sterling DeGayner led the way with 17 points for CU
16 –
Maddison Fulks scored 16 points, all of which came in the second half.
14 & 12 – Seniors
Shelby Nyboer and
Allyson Richards also chipped in double figures
41-35 – Cornerstone led the rebound category by six.
What's Next?
Cornerstone will prepare for WHAC play against a tough Indiana Tech team in the WHAC Quarterfinal, which is set for 6 p.m. on Thursday in Fort Wayne. It will be Cornerstone's first appearance in the tournament since winning the tournament as the 6th seed in the 2017-18 season.
