Box Score
Box Score
Grand Rapids, Mich. – After being tested in the first half, Davenport wore down Olivet Nazarene for a 97-69 win in the Lady Panthers first home game of the season. The win improves Davenport to 3-0 on the year and they will next play Trinity International (Ill.) in a first round game of the Panther Invitational next Friday.
The Lady Panthers came out running and the fast tempo allowed them to build an early 15-4 lead. Davenport extended their lead to 33-20 at the ten minutes mark when Karlee Despres (Belmont, Mich.) laid in two of her twelve points.
The fast tempo that the Tigers and Lady Panthers both play, allowed Olivet Nazarene to come back late in the first half as they went on a 14-2 run to pull within one of Davenport 42-41 heading into the locker room.
The teams exchanged baskets for the first several minutes of the second half but Olivet Nazarene could never take the lead.
With the game tied at fifty, Davenport went on a 12-0 run with Jeannie Closson (Parchment, Mich.) and Leah Sevcik (Kewaunee, Wis.) contributing eight of those points. Both players finished with double digit points as Closson had 10 and Sevick 14.
Some key three's down the stretch by Julie Janish (Whittemore, Mich.) helped the Panthers finish off the Tigers in a game that featured 63 turnovers, 31 fouls and 30 made three point shots.
Kallie Benike (Campbellsport, Wis.) led the Lady Panthers in points with 25. She tied a Student Center record that she had previously set for points in a game and number of field goals made in a game with nine. Jeannie Closson (Parchment, Mich.) and Riana Hensley (Toledo, Ohio) led the team in rebounds with nine each.
The Panthers will next be in action when they host the Panther Invitational on November 12th and 13th. Davenport's opening game will be against Trinity International (Ill.) on Friday at 7:30 pm. The winner of the Davenport game will play the winner of the Robert Morris (Ill.)/Grace College (Ind.) game on Saturday at 4:00 pm.
