ROCKFORD, Ill.- In need of a win to stay in the conference tournament race, the Rockford University women's basketball team hosted the Marian University Sabres Saturday afternoon. Rockford got off to a slow start but was able to overcome it and led by two at halftime. The Regents offense kept hitting shots in the second half and the defense stepped up its game. Rockford held Marian to 33% shooting from the field for the game, whereas the Regents shot 50% from the field. The Regents also dominated from the free point line, making 73% of their shots and their 19 made free throws were nine more than Marian attempted.
Marian, a three-point shooting team, got off to a fast start by making three-pointers on its first two possessions. Mallorie Getzelman (Byron, Ill.) made the first basket for Rockford on a layup. A few minutes later Rockford's offense started to come alive with a couple of made baskets by Amanda Davis (Mundelein, Ill.), mixed in with a basket by Diamond Williams (Carpentersville, Ill.). The baskets put the Regents up 10-9 at the 14:21 mark for its first lead of the game.
Over the next ten minutes there would be eight lead changes. With just under five minutes left in the half, Davis made baskets on three straight Rockford possessions to put Rockford up 31-27. Williams made another basket down the stretch, but the Sabres were able to bring the score to 34-32 in favor of Rockford at the end of the first half.
Points were hard to come by in the early part of the second half for both teams. Six minutes into the half, Marian hit a three-pointer to tie the game up at 41. Williams answered with a layup to retake the lead, but Marian again hit another three-pointer to recapture the lead. On their next possession the Sabres hit another three-pointer and a minute later a layup to go ahead 49-43 with 11:31 left in the game. A short time later, Rockford went on a streak that decided the game.
Katie Clark (Rock City, Ill.), who had been relatively quiet up to this point, started a rally with a layup. Williams followed that up with a layup and a minute later Clark made two free throws to tie the game up at 49. Clark and Williams were not done with the duo making layups on back-to-back Regent possessions to add to the Regents lead. Taylor Davis (Mundelein, Ill.) finished the 12-0 run with a layup to put the Regents up 55-49. A three-pointer at the 7:42 by Marian ended Rockford's run.
A layup by Marian at 3:18 cut the Regents lead down to two and bring the score to 62-60. Rockford's offense then took control down the stretch. Over the final three minutes, Amanda Davis hit a jump shot and made two free throws, Clark made a layup, and senior Callie Rezin (Rockford, Ill.) came up clutch by making all six of her free throw shots to give Rockford the 74-64 win.
Amanda Davis finished with a game high 23 points on 9-of-13 shooting. Also in double-digit scoring for the Regents were Williams with 14 and Clark with 13. Clark added in nine rebounds while Williams added in a game high 13 for her third double-double of the season. Taylor Davis finished with four points and four assists. Rezin had a nice all-around game and finished with nine points, three assists, three rebounds, and three steals.
The Regents continues its season on January 14 when they travel to Edgewood for a 7:00 p.m. game. Rockford's next home game is on January 17 at 2:00 p.m. against Concordia Wisconsin.
