MEQUON, Wis. - The Rockford University women's basketball team entered Saturday's game with a lot of confidence having won four of its last six games. However, the Regents knew they would have to put forth their best effort of the season in order to upset the one-loss Concordia University Wisconsin Falcons. Rockford was able to hang tough for the majority of the first half but ultimately the Falcons took over and defeated the Regents 95-71.
Despite only leading for thirteen seconds in the first half, Rockford was able to keep the game within reach for the majority of the half. Senior Sherrell Woods (Rockford, Ill./East) gave Rockford its only lead of the game when she drained her team's first field goal attempt of the dat to put the Regents up 2-0. However, Concordia Wisconsin scored on its next possession to take a lead it would not relinquish. Despite never regaining the lead, the Regents were able to twice tie the game as well as get within one point multiple times. Late in the first half and trailing by seven, the Regents used an 11-5 run to make it a one-point game. During that two-minute span, Rockford did an excellent job spreading the ball around as five different Regents scored. The run was bookended by a pair of seniors with Jessica Bjerning (Wauconda, Ill./Mundelein) knocking down a jumper at the start and Destiny Chaney (Belleville, Ill./O'Fallon Township) finishing the run with a layup to make it just a 28-27 Falcon lead. After the two teams traded baskets, the Falcons seized control of the game with an 18-6 run to close the half. Concordia Wisconsin then opened the second half with a 12-5 run to push its lead to twenty points and essentially seal the win. Rockford would get no closer than seventeen the remainder of the way as Concordia Wisconsin went on to win 95-71.
Offensively the Regents played very well as they shot 44.2% from the floor including 43.8% from beyond the arc. Senior Erin Ryczek (South Beloit, Ill./Hononegah) led the way for Rockford scoring a team-high 14 points on 4-of-7 shooting including going 3-of-5 from three-point range. Junior Katie Clark (Rock City, Ill./Dakota) was the other Regent in double-figures as she connected on 5-of-10 shot attempts for 12 points. Senior Arielle Nichols (Tampa, Fla./Land O'Lakes) had a good shooting night as well as she scored 9 points and drained 3-of-6 shots from beyond the arc. Jessica Bjerning and Callie Rezin (Rockford, Ill./Lutheran) probably had the two best all-around games for the Regents. Bjerning scored 7 points on 3-for-6 shooting and grabbed a team-high 6 rebounds. Rezin also scored 7 points, had 4 assists and 2 steals.
The women's basketball team returns to the court on Tuesday, January 21st at home against Dominican University. Tip-off is set for 7:00 p.m. in the Seaver Center.
