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Cardinals Move To 7-2 With Pair Of Wins At SWIC Classic
Posted: Nov 25, 2024

Cardinals Move To 7-2 With Pair Of Wins At SWIC Classic

The Mineral Area College women's basketball team recently traveled to Southwestern Illinois College in Belleville, IL for a pair of games in the SWIC Classic on Friday, November 22 and Saturday, November 23.

Friday - Mineral Area 85, Rend Lake 55

From the opening whistle, the Cardinals quickly asserted their dominance. After a tightly contested first quarter that saw them lead by just three points (16-13), MAC went on to outscore Rend Lake College in every period.

By halftime, the Cardinals had stretched their advantage to 35-25.  The third quarter proved to be the turning point, as the Cardinals exploded for 25 points while limiting the Warriors to just 14.

Key Performances:

Several standout performances helped propel the Cardinals to the win:

  • Marceline Clermont led the charge for MAC with a well-rounded stat line. She scored 14 points on 6-of-9 shooting, grabbed 4 rebounds, and recorded 4 assists.
  • Kinley Norris contributed 6 points with two three-pointers, while also adding 2 rebounds and 2 assists.
  • Mariah Dallas came off the bench to provide a game-high 25 points on an efficient 11-of-18 shooting.
  • Ashley Buragas played a key role in the frontcourt with 12 points and 7 rebounds.
  • Casey Teague contributed with 6 points and 6 rebounds

 

Overall, the Cardinals shot 51.5% from the field (35-of-68) and 81.8% from the free-throw line (9-of-11). 

 

Saturday - Mineral Area 69, SWIC 64

The Cardinals started strong in the first quarter, leading 17-13 after a tightly contested period. Although the Blue Storm fought back with a solid second quarter performance, outscoring the Cardinals 16-10, MAC maintained a slim lead at halftime, 27-29.

In the third quarter, the Cardinals exploded offensively, increasing their lead to 49-46 by the end of the period. Their consistent defense and scoring efforts in the final quarter allowed them to hold on to their advantage, ultimately winning 69-64 despite a comeback effort from SWIC.

Key Performances:

MAC's offense was led by standout performances from Ashley Buragas and Madison Ayers. Buragas had a dominant game with 20 points and 20 rebounds, a double-double that highlighted her control on both ends of the floor. Ayers added 17 points, shooting an impressive 9-12 from the free-throw line and contributing 4 assists.

Mariah Dallas also had a solid performance with 14 points and 4 rebounds, while Marceline Clermont contributed 5 points and 3 assists in the starting lineup. Skylar Sweeney added 8 points off the bench, while Jaelah Clayton chipped in 5 points, including a perfect 2-2 shooting from the field.

With the two wins at the SWIC Classic, MAC improved to 7-2 overall.  The Cardinals will return to action when they host Southwestern Illinois College on Wednesday, November 27 at 1:00pm.