Shorthanded Women's Basketball Drops Game at Bethel

(Mishawaka, IN)-- The Cleary Cougar women's basketball team continued to deal with a short bench Monday evening, as they took on the Bethel University Pilots with only five healthy players in Mishawaka Monday evening.

The Cougars would hold a 5-3 lead in the very early goings, but the Pilots would use full court pressure and rebounding prowess to take control of the game, building an eleven point halftime lead.  That lead would grow to as many as twenty-one points late in the game, before a late Cougar run narrowed the gap to fourteen ponits at the final horn.

All five Cleary players scored, while Mileisha Rodriguez had a game high 18 points and a game high 8 rebounds in the game, with 14 of those points coming in the second half, and 10 points in the fourth quarter, to lead the Cleary offense.  Taedom Stein was the other Cougar to reach double-digits with 10 points and 6 assists.  Rylee Thomas had 9 points and 4 rebounds, while Caitlyn Rayl and Amelia Storm each had 4 points.  Storm would also grab 7 rebounds.

Cleary shot 35.7% from the floor, but was 4-15 from three point range (26.7%).  The Cougars were 11-14 from the free throw line in the game.  The Pilots outrebounded the Cougars 50-25.  Both teams did well taking care of the basketball, but Cleary was forced into 13 turnovers to Bethel's 11.

Cleary drops to 1-9.  The Cougars will return to WHAC play this Saturday, December 16, when they host the Rochester Warriors at Gannon Gymnasium.  The game is set to begin at 1:00 PM.