Box Score Thornton Gymnasium was the setting for Saturday afternoon's Northern Athletics Conference women's basketball North-South Challenge game between the Aurora University Spartans and the Crusaders of
Maranatha Baptist Bible College. Maranatha was able to build up a lead in the first half which they would hold onto for the entire game. The Crusaders of Maranatha went on to win the game by a score of 84-59.
Maranatha built up an eight point lead off of a 15-7 run which spanned the first 5:09 of the game. Aurora lessened the lead to three points with two quick baskets of their own. The score was 15-12 with 13:36 left to play in the first half.
The Crusaders took control and went on a 17-5 run over the next 6:30 of play to extend their lead to 15 points. Maranatha maintained control of the game for the rest of the opening half. They found themselves up by a score of 41-26 when the half concluded.
The Crusaders opened up the second half with a 14-6 run which put them up by 23 with 13:36 to play in
AU responded by putting together an 11-4 run over the next four minutes to draw within 16 but that was as close as they would come to the lead for the rest of the afternoon.
Maranatha continued to play well and furthered their lead to as many as 25 points. The Crusaders went on to win by a score of 84-59.
Spartan freshmen, forward
Neely Marks (13 points) and
JaQuitta Walker (six points and eight assists) showed that the Spartans have some building blocks moving forward to next season.
The 2011-2012 women's basketball season concludes with the Spartans finishing 2-23 overall and 1-16 in the NAC.
