Lansing, Mich. — And so it begins. Not even Thanksgiving, and the Saints have already stepped into the long, grueling path affectionately known as the WHAC conference regular season. After a 2–2 start in the non-conference slate, Coach Brian Morris and the Aquinas women's basketball team shifted their attention to league play, opening their WHAC journey on the road in Lansing against the Cleary Cougars.

Aquinas 67, Cleary 58

The Saints responded to the challenge with poise and balance, grinding out a victory to start the year 1–0 in conference action, 3-2 overall.

Aquinas leaned heavily on its veteran core to take control of the matchup. Paige Guernsey was tremendous from the charity stripe, going 13-for-15 on her way to a 19-point, 9-rebound performance that steadied the Saints during key stretches. Isabel Reemsnyder matched her with 19 points of her own, battling inside and knocking down timely jumpers to keep Aquinas in front. Rhema Dozier added 17 points and three triples, pushing the tempo and sparking several scoring bursts.

Defensively, Hannah Gillette and Hope Kanouse combined for 11 rebounds and helped limit Cleary's second-chance opportunities. Off the bench, Brynn Reams delivered a crucial 10 points on 5-of-8 shooting, giving AQ the scoring lift they needed to separate in the third quarter.

In that decisive third frame, Aquinas' balanced attack helped create the largest lead of the night, stretching the margin to nine as Dozier, Reemsnyder, and Reams all contributed key baskets.

The Saints held off several late pushes from the Cougars, closing the door with strong team rebounding and clutch free-throw shooting—particularly from Guernsey, who sank six in the final period. MJ Mikus, Leah French, and the rest of the supporting cast made key hustle plays that stabilized the Saints down the stretch.

When the final horn sounded, Aquinas had secured both a conference-opening win and a meaningful milestone: the victory marked the 100th career win for Head Coach Brian Morris, and the team celebrated by presenting him with a banner and personalized cupcakes to commemorate the achievement.

Inside the Numbers
     • Aquinas out-rebounded Cleary 47–36
     • The Saints scored 34 points in the paint
     • AQ's bench contributed 10 points
     • Aquinas shot 78.9% from the free-throw line (15–19)
     • Head Coach Brian Morris won his 100th Game, improving his record to 100–87 (.535)

Coach's Comments
Head Coach Brian Morris spoke about a good start to the WHAC season and touched on his 100th career win:
"Tonight was a great team effort to open conference play with the toughness we expect from Aquinas basketball. Milestones are nice, and I'm grateful for the 100 wins, but at the end of the day it's all about the kids. I've been blessed to coach some truly amazing student-athletes."

Up Next
The AQ three-game road trip will conclude on Saturday as the Saints travel to Fort Wayne, Indiana, to tangle with the Warriors of Indiana Tech. Tip-off is set for 1:00 PM. Visit AQSaints.com for live stats, streaming links, and full post-game coverage.