The Grace Tigers women's basketball team faced yet another NAIA DII team on the road Tuesday night – Spring Arbor University.  Though they were playing shorthanded, the Tigers battled a very good Spring Arbor team to the very end, eventually falling 69-52.

The two teams were knotted at 21-21 before Spring Arbor went on a 7-0 run to finish the half with a 28-21 advantage.  Though their intensity level did not waver the entire 40 minutes, but the shots did not fall and they wound up on the losing end.

Despite both battling sickness and injury, Grace Tigers backcourt duo of Bre Harris and Megan Scholtens had 17 points and 12 points, respectively.  Ashley Hoek scored 13, pulled down 7 rebounds, and blocked 4 shots.

"Give the credit to Spring Arbor and their players and coaches," said Grace Head Coach CB Long. "They hit some big shots, shots I planned on them missing.  We had a good game plan going into the game, and for the most part we executed it.  SAU has some good players, both on the perimeter and in the post.  In a game where shooting percentage in the first half was the difference.  They shot 46%, and we shot 38%."

Long was pleased with the overall effort from his team when the game was all said and done.

"We overcame a lot of obstacles and injuries to compete to the final whistle, even to the point a voice from the crowd yelled out, 'Come on coach, the game is over!'  Yet we were still learning, fighting, working to get better... and for that, I am proud of who we will be, because of who we are."

The Tigers hit the road once again this weekend, playing in the Hoops for Hope Classic at Grace College in Indiana.