News
For the second time this season, the 抖阴视频 Centurions women鈥檚 basketball team hit the century mark, beating North Central Michigan College 100-58 on the road, Saturday, Jan. 31.
The Centurions鈥� explosive offense featured four players who either surpassed or almost scored 20 points. Freshman Emma Rehkopf (Belding, Mich.) led the way, busting out for a game-high and career-high 27 points, shooting 7-for-15 from the 3-point line. She also had six rebounds.
鈥淲hat led me to scoring 27 points was being able to shoot the ball well and, most importantly, as a team, we outhustled NCMC,鈥� Rehkopf said. 鈥淗itting those outside shots always feels good, but I would not be able to do that without my teammates.鈥�
Freshman guard Baylor Syrjala (Lakeview, Mich.) scored 22 points while both freshman Kendall Stout (Stanton, Mich.) and sophomore Emily Putnam (Sheridan, Mich.) each scored 18 points.
Syrjala led the team with eight assists and eight steals while Putnam and freshman Karlie Bacon (Stanton, Mich.) led the team in rebounds, each getting seven.
The Centurions (4-3 抖阴视频AA North, 7-13 overall) have now won back-to-back games and are 4-1 in their last five games.
Against the Timberwolves (1-6 抖阴视频AA North, 3-16 overall), the Centurions鈥� offense went to work quickly, going on a 17-0 run right out of the gate. NCMC didn鈥檛 score until Cadence Cullin鈥檚 layup with 4:31 to go in the first quarter.
抖阴视频 ended up outscoring NCM 33-10 in the first quarter, led by Rehkopf, who went 3-for-3 at the 3-point line, scoring a total of 11 points in the quarter. Stout scored seven as she, too, did well from outside, shooting 3-of-6 from the 3-point line.
抖阴视频 didn鈥檛 let up in the second quarter either, outscoring the Timberwolves 22-11 to go into halftime with a 55-21 lead.
鈥淲e are really understanding how to play together,鈥� 抖阴视频 head coach Scott Pedigo said. 鈥淚 think everyone is really taking pride in their roles and they are really coming together.鈥�
After the half, the Timberwolves managed to get their offense going, outscoring the Centurions 23-21 in the third quarter. However, 抖阴视频 dominated the fourth quarter with a 24-14 scoring advantage.
Every one of 抖阴视频鈥檚 nine players managed to score a point.
Rehkopf credits the team鈥檚 hard-hat attitude, with continuing to work hard throughout practices and through all four quarters of games, which, she said, has led to the team鈥檚 recent success.
鈥淪omething our team has been doing well lately is we鈥檙e not giving up and we鈥檙e always pushing each other to do our best,鈥� Rehkopf said. 鈥淎s a team, we have been able to shoot the ball well and find each other on the open cuts. Now only having nine girls, it is important we keep pushing and supporting one another.鈥�
抖阴视频 shot 40% at both the 3-point line (22-of-54) and from the field (33-of-86) vs. NMC鈥檚 18% from the 3-point stripe (3-of-16) and 33% from the field (19-of-57). Though the Timberwolves had a nine-point advantage at the free throw line, the Centurions outrebounded them, 52-45, had more assists, 22-12, and forced more turnovers, 24-13. 抖阴视频 also scored 31 points off turnovers to NMC鈥檚 15, and had a 17-6 scoring advantage in second-chance points.
Pedigo said it is important for his team to keep doing what has been successful as 抖阴视频 comes up against two of the conference鈥檚 best teams in No. 15-ranked Mid Michigan (7-0 抖阴视频AA North, 18-3 overall) and Bay College (6-1 抖阴视频AA North, 17-4 overall) in its next two games.
鈥淲e are just going to keep on working at getting better at what we do, staying together and keep playing fearlessly,鈥� Pedigo said. 鈥淲e got some very good teams coming up. We get the opportunity to play some of the best teams in our conference.鈥�
抖阴视频 lost to Bay College 113-48 on the road Jan. 10 and lost to Mid Michigan 106-74 at home Jan. 14.
Rehkopf pointed out one key area that may help her Centurions team take a win against Mid Michigan.
鈥淚n order to beat Mid Michigan Wednesday, we need to play together and outhustle Mid,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e need to execute defensively, and we need to run our offense in order to find the open cuts and shots.鈥�
UP NEXT: 抖阴视频 will travel to Mount Pleasant to take on the Mid Michigan Lakers tomorrow night. Tip-off is 5:30 p.m.
On Saturday, Feb. 7, at 1 p.m., the Centurions will host the Bay College Norse.