Women's Basketball Show Grit in Purple and Gold Tournament

Women's Basketball opened the Purple and Gold Tournament with a pair of challenging matchups at the Karl H. Weaner Center. On November 21, the Lady Crusaders faced Indiana-Kokomo in a high-paced contest. Despite a strong effort from Olivia McDavid, who led the team with 18 points, Great Lakes Christian struggled offensively, shooting just 29.7% from the field. The Lady Crusaders trailed early, falling behind 21-8 in the first quarter, and ultimately could not close the gap, losing 68-52. Mia Catey powered Indiana-Kokomo with 18 points and 13 rebounds, helping the home team maintain control throughout the game.

The following evening, Women's Basketball took on Defiance in front of a larger crowd of 122. This time, the Lady Crusaders showed more scoring balance, with MaKensie Mondy contributing 20 points and Dalys McGuinnis adding 13, while MyKenzie Kent pulled down 13 rebounds. However, Defiance’s balanced attack proved too much, as five players scored in double digits, led by Kayla Houston with 18 points. Crusaders led early, but a dominant third quarter from Defiance, where they outscored the Crusaders 27-8, shifted the momentum decisively. The Lady Crusaders fell 77-61, concluding the tournament with two hard-fought losses.

Although the results were not what they hoped for, the team displayed determination and flashes of offensive firepower, setting a foundation to build on for the rest of the season.