Kalamazoo, Mich. — For a second straight season, the Aquinas women's basketball team played NCAA Division I Western Michigan in an exhibition contest in Kalamazoo, Mich. The Broncos comfortably won 76-47 in their first competition of the new season on Sunday afternoon (Oct. 29), but the experience gained was well worth the final outcome for the Saints (1-0 overall).

AQ head coach Brian Morris played 15 different players with 14 of them recording a point, rebound or an assist in the contest. Ten of them made a field goal to score points inside the awe-inspiring Read Fieldhouse/University Arena in front of 742 spectators.

Through the first six minutes, Aquinas still had WMU within four points (11-7) when Alona Blackwell converted a layup. Blackwell finished with a team-high 13 points.

The Broncos went on an 8-0 run to close out the first quarter with a 19-7 lead and the rest was history. Aquinas never managed to get the deficit back to single digits.

The Saints' best offensive quarter came in the third when they scored 20 points on 7-for-13 shooting (3-for-5 on 3-pointers). AQ finished with 35.4 shooting percentage (17-for-48) and 23.5% from behind the arc (4-for-17).

AQ also shot a respectable 9-for-12 from the free throw line.

WMU transfer Kaitlyn Zarycki, the former Saginaw Valley State standout who was named the 2022-23 GLIAC Player of the Year, was seemingly unstoppable. Zarycki scored a game-high 36 points on 13-for-19 shooting in just 26 minutes. She also had six rebounds and two assists.

Scoring for the Saints behind Blackwell's double-digit contribution were Ciara Hardy (8), Emily Bissett (7), Maddie Sermak (4), Alexis Thomas (3), Paige Guernsey (3), Brynn Reams (3), Ashlyn Wilkes (2), Jenna Daschke (2), and Ka'Shari Babb (2).

Also of note, Thomas grabbed nine of AQ's 34 rebounds.

The Saints defense held the Broncos to 38.4% shooting (28-for-73). WMU scored 28 points off 28 AQ turnovers, and 34 points coming in the paint.

Aquinas returns home this Wednesday (Nov. 1) for a non-conference clash with (RV) IU-South Bend. Last season, the Titans got the better of the Saints in South Bend, 62-48, after taking an early 22-10 lead in the first quarter.

AQ looks to flip the script with tipoff set for 5:30 p.m. from the Sturrus Center.