GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- The Siena Heights women's basketball team outscored Aquinas 44-29 in the second half to pull ahead in a 65-55 win on the road Wednesday night. Peyton Banks (Wadsworth, Ohio) tallied 20 points in the game. That point total gets to an even 1,000 career points. She is the 12th Saints women's basketball player to reach the 1,000 career points milestone.
THE BASICS
Final Score: Siena Heights 65, Aquinas 55
Location: Grand Rapids, Mich. (Sturrus Center)
Records: Siena Heights (7-3, 4-2), Aquinas (2-5, 2-5)
HOW IT HAPPENED
Siena Heights jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the opening four minutes of the game. Banks scored the first two when she made both free throws to give the SHU Saints the 2-0 lead. Sha'kyia Parker (Grand Rapids, Mich.) split her free throw attempts before drilling a three-point jumper to build the 6-0 lead. The AQ Saints then went on a 7-0 run to take the lead. Aquinas would hold a 13-8 lead at the end of the first quarter.
The score was tied at 17 and 19 in the second quarter before the home team built another five-point lead, 26-21, as the teams entered the locker room at the half.
The AQ Saints made a layup to build a 28-21 lead before Banks made a layup that sparked a 9-0 run and gave SHU a 30-28 advantage. The teams traded leads until Aquinas went on a 6-0 run to hold a 37-33 lead with 4:00 remaining in the third quarter. The visiting Saints would cut the lead to just one point, 39-38, as the game moved into the fourth quarter.
A 6-0 run started on a layup by Shelby Morrow (Flushing, Mich.) put Siena ahead 46-41 at the 7:13 mark of the final period. With a 48-46 lead, Banks hit back-to-back treys to extend the blue and yellow lead to 54-46 with just under 5:30 left in regulation. The maroon Saints cut the deficit to one point, 56-55, with 1:50 remaining. Morrow made a layup and Banks popped another three to grow the lead to six, 61-55. The rest of the points were scored off free throws as Aquinas tried to preserve time by fouling.
TOP SAINTS
• Banks finished 7-16 shooting and hauled in four rebounds to lead the Saints to the win.
• Kelsey Wyman (Blissfield, Mich.) tallied 14 points on 5-10 shooting. She hauled in six rebounds and dished three assists in the game.
• Morrow recorded a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds to help lead the Saints to the win.
THE OPPOSITION
• Marissa Brady scored 20 points and Brighton Miller netted 10 as the only two Aquinas players with double-digit points. Brady also led the maroon Saints with nine rebounds and five blocks.
UP NEXT
Siena travels again tomorrow night for a makeup game against Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC) opponent Concordia (Mich.). The game is scheduled for a 7:30 PM tip and will be at the Cardinal Fieldhouse in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
