Carthage 70, Franciscan 50
HOLLAND, Mich. - The Carthage women's basketball team faced off against Franciscan on the final day of the Hope College Michelle Schoon Classic. The Firebirds bounced back from a loss to Hope on Friday evening to claim a 20-point victory over Franciscan.



Malia Green got the Firebirds on the board with a three-point basket on the opening possession of the day. Three layups from Grace Cord, a layup from Alyssa Orozco, and a three from Nora Ahram got the Firebirds off to a very strong 14-0 lead over the Barons. The Firebirds offense cooled off in the back half of the quarter, as the team held an 18-12 lead at the end of the first period. Cord led the Firebirds with six points in the opening quarter.

Green once again got the scoring started with a three to open the second quarter. A layup and a three from Orozco continued to expand the lead before a Green layup built the lead to 28-14 with 6:15 to play in the half. A three pointer for the Barons cut the deficit to 11 points. The two squads traded baskets through the remainder of the quarter, with the Firebirds entering the half with a 38-23 lead. Green led the way with 12 points in the half.

A layup for Orozco got the second half started for the Firebirds, with Cord scoring on the next two possessions to extend the lead to 21 points.The Barons gained some momentum in the back half of the quarter, cutting the deficit to 48-32 heading into the final quarter. Cord scored a team-high six points in the quarter.

The Barons went on a 4-0 run to open the quarter, cutting the Firebirds lead down to 12 points. A three from Green ended the run, before another four points from Green built the lead back to 17 points. A 7-0 run from Orozco built the lead up to 24 points, with another three from Lisa Colin later extending the lead to 268-42 with 1:32 to play. Late scoring for the Barons brought the score back within 20 points by the end of the game.


 

• Malia Green* - 24 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals
• Alyssa Orozco - 16 points, 7 rebounds
• Grace Cord - 12 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists

*Named to All-Tournament Team



"It wasn't pretty at times but a win is a win," said Head Coach Megan Jones. "We knew we needed to run the offense through the paint today and we did a great job of that, outscoring Franciscan 40-10 inside. But on the other end, we gave up far too many offensive rebounds which led to 17 second chance points for them, to our 8. We have a quick turnaround and a tough week ahead. One game at a time, we will get refocused for Coe on Tuesday."



The Firebirds (3-2) return to Tarble Arena on Tuesday, Nov. 25 as the Firebirds host Coe at 5:30 p.m. For more information, visit athletics.carthage.edu.