Mixed results

The Ferris women’s basketball split two road conference contests this weekend

Battling On: Sophomore Tricia Principe makes a foul shot at a recent victorious home game against Lewis. The team currently holds a 5-10 record for the 2009-10 season. Photo By: Kristyn Sonnenberg | Photo Editor
The women’s basketball team split a pair of conference games on the road this weekend.

The Bulldogs had mixed results during a road trip to Ohio this weekend as they picked up a conference win while also dropping a close conference decision.

Ferris faced off against the Ashland Eagles and fought hard the entire contest, but ultimately fell 71-66 on Saturday.

Ashland managed to grab a slight 32-29 advantage going into halftime following a half that saw the teams combining for 27 turnovers.

The Bulldogs clawed back in the second half, though, as they managed to tie the game with 14 minutes left. Although they could not overtake the Eagles after the tie, the Bulldogs stayed close as they shot 57.1 percent from the field in the final half.

The team trimmed the Ashland advantage to only three points with a minute left to go in the contest. Ferris had a chance to tie the game in the final 10 seconds, but a three-point attempt from sophomore guard Tricia Principe fell short. Principe said the close loss frustrated the whole team.

“We were right there the entire game and for us to lose it at the end was disappointing,” said Principe.

Despite holding a 40-32 rebounding advantage and a 36-32 edge in scoring in the paint, Ferris could not overcome the 25 turnovers that resulted in 25 points for Ashland.

Leading the Bulldogs was junior forward Amy Joostberns, who dropped in 14 points. Junior guard Becci Houdek added in 12 points, while junior forward Tiara Adams recorded a double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds.

Though the team dropped a hard-fought game to Ashland, they picked up a conference victory over Tiffin on Thursday.

The Bulldogs held a slim 41-39 halftime edge and outscored the Dragons 34-27 in the final half to pick up a 75-66 victory.

The team’s hot shooting played a part in picking up the victory, as Ferris shot 54.2 percent from the field during the contest. Ferris also held a huge advantage at the free-throw line as the team made 19 of 28, compared to just 5 of 6 for the Dragons.

The Bulldogs held strong on the defensive end as well, as they held Tiffin to 34.2 percent shooting from the field during the contest.

Principe’s career-high 23 points paced Ferris while Adams contributed another double-double with 19 points along with 12 rebounds.

In a season where the team has battled injuries and has been forced to play some younger players, Houdek has seen the team pick up their play over the past few games.

“The younger girls are really starting to find their roles on the team,” said Houdek. “When we win, it means more that everyone has a solid game instead of just one person having a good game.”

Following the weekend action, Ferris now stands at 4-6 in the GLIAC and 5-10 overall for this season.

The team will continue their conference road trip with a stop at Wayne State tomorrow. Wayne State is currently 1-9 in the GLIAC play and 3-12 overall on the season.