Women's Basketball Drops Matchup with No. 9 Briar Cliff

SIOUX CITY, Iowa – Doane women's basketball put together a strong second half but was unable to overcome a fast start by No. 9 Briar Cliff, falling 92–72 on Saturday afternoon in GPAC play.

Briar Cliff opened the game with a 20–8 first-quarter lead and continued its pace with 27 points in the second to take a 47–29 advantage into halftime. The Chargers shot 42 percent from the field and knocked down 10 three-pointers, building separation early behind their defensive pressure and transition scoring.

Doane responded after the break, outscoring Briar Cliff 45-43 in the second half and finding rhythm offensively behind performances from freshmen Mattea Kassebaum and Emma Vander Plaats. Kassebaum led the Tigers with a team-high 21 points on 8-of-16 shooting while adding nine rebounds and a steal. Vander Plaats provided an efficient spark with 18 points in just 17 minutes, hitting 6-of-8 from the floor and 3-of-4 from beyond the arc.

The Tigers made their strongest push in the fourth quarter, scoring 25 points and attacking the paint to close the gap. Doane outscored the Chargers 38–32 in paint points overall and added 25 points off the bench. Additional contributions came from Megan Chambers (11 points, 3 rebounds) and Rylie Rice (6 points, 3 rebounds, 1 steal).

Despite the strong inside production, turnovers proved costly. The Tigers committed 22 turnovers, which Briar Cliff converted into 31 points. The Chargers held a 39-31 advantage on the boards, turning 13 offensive rebounds into 17 second chance points. The Tigers shot 20-for-26 from the free-throw line.

Briar Cliff was paced by Mallie McNair's 29 points and four three-pointers, while Abby Lee added 19 points and eight rebounds. The Chargers improved to 9–0 (3-0 GPAC) with the win.

Doane, now 2-4 (0-3 GPAC), will play on non-conference game on Saturday, November 29, in Sterling, Kansas, against the Sterling Warriors at 1:00 p.m.

(generated by ChatGPT)