Despite playing its second game in 24 hours and trailing on the road at halftime to a top-25 opponent, the Aquinas women's basketball team put forth a tremendous defensive effort over the final 20 minutes. After giving up 34 first-half points, AQ allowed only 12 points in the second half and pulled out a gritty 52-46 victory at #22 UM-Dearborn on Wednesday night (Nov. 20). 
 
Coming less than 24 hours after falling on the road in Indiana to a 7-1 Huntington team on Tuesday night (Nov. 19), the Saints hung around in the first half before putting on the clamps defensively to shut down the Wolverine offense and close out the WHAC victory. With the win, AQ improves to 4-4 on the season and 2-0 in league play. UM-Dearborn drops to 4-3 overall and 0-1 in WHAC action.
 
Aquinas received a number of contributions from the starters to the reserves, but the team defense was the story. After the Saints trailed 34-29 at halftime, they held UM-Dearborn to just 5-of-33 shooting in the second half, including a 1-for-16 mark from three-point range. The Wolverines' struggles continued at the line, where UMD was 1-for-6 in the second half. 
 
Overall, AQ limited UM-Dearborn to 26.2 percent shooting in the game and only 5-of-27 from beyond the arc. The Saints shot 37.0 percent from the floor, went 2-of-11 from downtown, and 10-of-18 at the line. While both teams struggled offensively, Aquinas dominated in the paint to the tune of a 32-16 advantage in the low post. 
 
A pair of Saints notched team-highs of 12 points, as JaKarri Alven and Daz'Sha Day posted a dozen points in the victory. Alven added three steals and a pair of boards in 23 minutes, while Day was 5-of-11 from the field and picked up two steals. Camaryia Williams contributed eight rebounds, seven points, two assists and two steals. 
 
Ally Frederickson grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds in only 14 minutes, marking her second double-digit rebounding game of the season. Kailee Ford knocked down all four of her free throws and totaled nine points and four rebounds, while Marissa Brady went 3-for-6 from the field and recorded six points, three rebounds, and two blocked shots. 
 
Six of Alven's 12 points were the first six of the game, as she hit two layups and a jumper for a 6-0 AQ lead. The Wolverines responded with a 20-5 run to take a 20-11 advantage into the second quarter. Aquinas pulled within three points late in the half, but UM-Dearborn brought a 34-29 lead to the locker room at halftime.
 
The Saints scored the first eight points in the third quarter on two layups from Day, one from Alven, and another from Williams to give AQ the 37-34 lead. Aquinas stayed in front until the Wolverines tied the score at the end of the third quarter at 41-all.
 
It was tied at 46-46 until Williams scored on a layup at the 5:08 mark to put Aquinas in front for good at 48-46. Brady notched a layup with 43 seconds left to make it a 50-46 advantage and after opening the game with the first points, Alven closed the contest with a pair of free throws with 18 ticks left. 
 
UM-Dearborn missed its final 11 shots and went 1-for-15 over the final eight minutes, as AQ's defense tightened up to earn the key road win.
 
Aquinas returns home to take on Lourdes at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday (Nov. 23) in the Sturrus Center.