By Nicholas Huenefeld/Owens Sports Information
Livonia, MI---The No. 11 Owens Express women's basketball team turned the ball over 26 times Friday en route to being upset 70-57 by Schoolcraft College.
Uniqua Mitchell (Martin Luther King/Detroit, Mich.) led the Express in scoring for the second time this year. She finished with 17 points, seven rebounds, two assists and one steal. Aja Hall (Fostoria/Fostoria, Ohio) finished with 16 points, eight rebounds, three assists, three steals and one block, while Emma-Jean Ricketts (Anthony Wayne/Waterville, Ohio) had 10 points, eight rebounds, two steals and one assist. Aside from those three, the rest of the team only produced 14 points.
Hall now has 697 career points. She passed Sarah Clark (689) and Jeanne Bockey (692) to move into a tie for 15th place on the career scoring list with Janice Butzin.
Hailey Galvan (Archbold/Archbold, Ohio) finished with a team-high five blocks for the Express, while Kieona Foster (Shawnee/Lima, Ohio) had a team-high four assists. The game marked the first time this year that the Express did not have anyone record double figures in rebounding.
The Express jumped out to a 4-0 lead early, but Schoolcraft went on a 25-8 run to take a 13 point lead with 9:13 remaining in the first half. Owens answered back to take a 29-27 lead on a three from Mitchell with 3:50 remaining. The Express held a two point lead heading into the half.
The game was tied at 38 with 15:49 remaining in the game before Schoolcraft went on a decisive 9-0 run over the next 1:27. The Ocelots maintained their lead the rest of the way, and they led by as many as 14 late in the game. The Express got to within five with 7:58 remaining, but that was as close as they got. The Ocelots outscored Owens 39-24 in the second half.
The 26 turnovers for the Express was their second highest total in a game this year. Coincidentally, their highest turnover total was in their first game against Schoolcraft when they turned the ball over 28 times. Friday's game also marked season lows for the Express in points (57), assists (13), and overall shooting percentage (32.8 percent).
Domonique Jones led Schoolcraft with 22 points, while Shawnicka Thomas had 17 points and 12 rebounds. Ashley Beemon also had a double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds, while Charlise Slater had 12 points. The rest of the Ocelot team only scored three points.
The Ocelots held a large advantage in foul shooting as they finished 20-for-29 from the line compared to 9-for-15 for the Express. The two teams each had 51 rebounds, while Schoolcraft had four more offensive rebounds. Owens had more assists (13 to 9), but Schoolcraft had more steals (16 to 10).
The Express are now 8-3 this season, while Schoolcraft moves to 7-2. The next game for Owens is next Wednesday on the road against Mott Community College in Flint, Mich. beginning at 5:30 p.m.