Rochester Hills, Mich. — The saying goes, "Never give a team bulletin board material." For Head Coach Brian Morris and the Aquinas Women's Basketball team, the preseason rankings that labeled the Saints as a non-factor in the WHAC (Wolverine Hoosier Athletic Conference) served as just that—a source of added motivation. That extra fire was on full display as the Saints defeated Rochester Christian 80-68 for their sixth straight victory.

Aquinas 80, Rochester Christian 68

Once again, Aquinas showcased their hallmark of balanced scoring, with eight players contributing points—seven of whom scored six or more.

The Warriors matched the Saints stride for stride through the first half, leading to a 34-34 tie at halftime. But the Saints found their rhythm in the second half, pulling away with contributions from both their starters and bench players. Rhema Dozier led the reserves with 9 points and 3 assists, as the Saints' bench contributed 23 points overall.

Aquinas had two players record double-doubles: Claire Gregwer (20 points, 16 rebounds) extended her streak to seven consecutive double-doubles, while Paige Guernsey added 14 points and 12 rebounds.

After the game, Coach Morris emphasized the team's perseverance, "We got off to a slow start offensively, finally finding our rhythm in the second half. Defensively, we missed too many assignments, but we found a way to keep fighting."

The win keeps the Saints just one game behind Indiana Tech in the WHAC standings. Aquinas improves to 14-7 overall and 11-2 in conference play.

By the Numbers:

• Claire Gregwer: 20 points, 16 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, 1 block (7th consecutive double-double).
• Paige Guernsey: 14 points, 12 rebounds, 2 assists (double-double).
• Emily Cline: 9 rebounds, 5 assists.
• Isabel Reemsnyder: 16 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists.
• Rebounding Edge: The Saints dominated the glass, out-rebounding Rochester 51-36.

Up Next:

The Saints return home on Wednesday for a match-up against Siena Heights. Tip-off is set for 5:30 p.m. at the Sturrus Sports & Fitness Center, where it will also be Teacher Appreciation Night.