Women's Basketball News - 2011-12

St. Ambrose named to WBCA Academic Honor Roll

July 17, 2012

WBCA release

The St. Ambrose women's basketball was honored for its work in the classroom as the Queen Bees were named to the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) 2011-12 Academic Top 25 Team Honor Roll today.

The Queen Bees were 14th among all NAIA institutions with a 3.424 grade point average. SAU was the highest ranked team in the Midwest Collegiate Conference.

The award is given to NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, NAIA and junior colleges that carry the highest grade point averages inclusive of all student-athletes on their rosters for the entire season.

Smith, Saladino named to all-conference team

Feb. 28, 2012

MCC release

Annie Smith and Samantha Saladino, two of the major reasons why St. Ambrose was among the top defensive and rebounding teams in the country, were named to the 2012 all-Midwest Collegiate Conference Women's Basketball team, as announced by the league office today.

This marks the fifth straight year there have been at least two Queen Bees on the 10-player all-conference squad.

With the pair patrolling the paint, St. Ambrose led the MCC and ranks in the top-15 nationally in both field goal percentage defense (allowing opponents to shoot just 35.2 percent) and rebounding (45.6 rpg). The Bees pulled down an average of seven boards a game more than their opponents.

In just three years, Smith became the school's all-time leader in blocked shots with 183, surpassing Cindy Born's 21-year record of 175. She blocked a shot in 26 of the 28 games she played, and had at least two blocks 17 times this season.

The 6-2 senior forward from Davenport, Iowa, is ninth in the country in blocked shots (2.3 bpg) and 12th in total rebounding (9.6 rpg). Smith also contributed offensively, averaging a team-leading 14.4 points per game. She scored in double figures 20 times, including six efforts of at least 20 points, and recorded nine double-doubles.

Smith, who earned all-conference honorable mention last year, finished her St. Ambrose career with 964 points and 547 rebounds.

Saladino provided another post presence for the Queen Bees. She averaged 12.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and 0.8 blocked shots to place in the top 10 in the conference in all three categories.

But the 6-0 junior forward from Davenport, Iowa, saved her best play for the MCC season. In the 18 league games, Saladino averaged 13.1 points, 9.1 boards and 2.7 assists.

Saladino scored at least 10 points in a game 20 times, and hit the mark in 17 of the team's final 20 games. She also grabbed double-digit rebounds 11 times and recorded 10 double-doubles.

Queen Bees' season ends with loss at Mount Mercy

Feb. 25, 2012

Box score

St. Ambrose gave #12 Mount Mercy all it could handle, but a late spurt lifted to the Mustangs to a 79-69 win to end the Queen Bee season in the Midwest Collegiate Conference Tournament semifinals Saturday afternoon in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

SAU, which entered the tournament as the #6 seed, knocked off #3 seed Iowa Wesleyan Thursday night and had #2 seed Mount Mercy on the ropes.

The Bees withstood a quick Mount Mercy start that saw the Mustangs lead 10-2 just three minutes in. A 7-0 SAU run started by a 3-pointer from Annie Smith put the Bees in front 16-15 midway through the first half, and for the next 30 minutes, neither team led by more than four points.

The game was tied as late as 62-62 with 3:11 to play. But then the Mustangs put together their best offensive stretch of the afternoon. Two straight baskets and a pair of free throws gave Mount Mercy (25-7) a six-point lead. The Bees, meanwhile, struggled to score, finishing the game by hitting just two of their final 10 shots.

The Mustangs were able to pull away by hitting 10 of their last 12 from the line.

The Bee defense gave the team a chance to win. Mount Mercy shot only 34.7 percent, making only 25-of-72 shots from the floor. But St. Ambrose shot 30 percent in the second half to finish at 32.8 percent for the game.

In her final game, senior Annie Smith (right) finished with a team-best 19 points and grabbed six rebounds. Lauren Cash came off the bench to score 15 while Samantha Saladino had 11 points and eight boards. Katie Jensen narrowly missed a double-double with nine points and 11 rebounds.

Now Mount Mercy will visit top-seed and #9-ranked Grand View Monday night with the MCC Tournament championship on the line. The Bees end the season 13-16 overall.

SAU takes down Iowa Wesleyan in MCC quarterfinals

Feb. 23, 2012

Box score | Tournament bracket

The reigning Midwest Collegiate Conference Tournament champions aren't quite ready to give up their crown.

St. Ambrose (13-15), the defending tournament champion but seeded sixth this year, knocked off third-seed Iowa Wesleyan 69-52 Thursday night in Mount Pleasant, Iowa, in a MCC Tournament quarterfinal. It was SAU's second win in three tries against the Tigers this year.

The road doesn't get any easier as the Queen Bees will have to travel to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to face #12 Mount Mercy Saturday at 2 p.m. in a semifinal contest. The Mustangs have won nine straight games, including a 77-65 quarterfinal win over Ashford Thursday, and defeated the Bees twice during the regular season.

But SAU will get another crack at Mount Mercy (24-7) thanks to an outstanding defensive effort to shut down Iowa Wesleyan. The Tigers shot 22.2 percent for the game and hit just 4-of-26 3-point attempts.

The stingy defense was just one of the keys. The Bees grabbed a 55-38 edge on the boards to outscore the Tigers 12-2 in second-chance points. Thanks to Annie Smith's 23-point night, the Bee bench also outscored the IWC reserves 28-2.

The Bees took advantage and led the entire way. With an early 8-7 lead, Smith (right) scored five straight points and Mollie Yeargle followed with a 3-pointer to push the advantage to 16-7. The lead was 33-21 at the half.

Iowa Wesleyan continued to struggle to score in the second half. While shooting better than their 20.6 percent effort in the first half, the Tigers 24.1 percent shooting after halftime didn't allow them to make a move. SAU maintained a double-digit lead the entire second half.

With the team-high 23 points, Smith also hauled in a game-best 14 rebounds. Katie Schuler (left) scored 10 points, and Yeargle, Katie Jensen and Samantha Saladino each netted eight. Jensen (right) also came down with 12 boards.

The Bees will next face a Mount Mercy team that has defeated them 80-67 in Davenport, Iowa, on Jan. 11 and 92-88 in overtime in Cedar Rapids on Feb. 8.

Top seed #9 Grand View (26-5) will square off with fourth-seed William Penn (12-18) in Saturday's other semifinal. The championship game will be played at the highest remaining seed's home court Monday at 7 p.m.

Bees drop regular season finale as late comeback falls short

Feb. 18, 2012

Box score | MCC Tournament bracket

St. Ambrose staged a furious comeback to trim a 23-point deficit with less than 10 minutes to play down to five before ultimately falling 69-62 at Iowa Wesleyan in the regular season finale for both teams Saturday afternoon. The Queen Bees hope the late momentum carries over to Thursday when the two teams will square off again in a quarterfinal game of the Midwest Collegiate Conference Women's Basketball Tournament.

After a close game early, Iowa Wesleyan (17-10, 13-5 MCC) scored the last 10 points of the first half to lead 33-19 at the break.

The Tigers came out of the locker room and hit two quick 3-pointers to cap a 16-0 run to up the lead to 20 points. The lead ballooned to 23 points midway through the second half.

Then the Queen Bees found their stroke from beyond the arc and made a move. Lauren Cash (left), Annie Smith (right) and Michelle Charvat hit consecutive 3-pointers before Smith grabbed an offensive rebound and scored to pull St. Ambrose to within 12 points at 53-41.

Later, Cash, Smith and Mollie Yeargle connected on threes on three straight possessions to get the Bees as close as five points with just over two minutes remaining. St. Ambrose had a chance to get closer after forcing an Iowa Wesleyan turnover, but Cash's jumper was off the mark.

Cash did get the Bees back to within five points twice in the final minute with 3-pointers, but the Tigers hit 5-of-6 from the line over the last 30 seconds to seal the win.

The Bees hit eight 3-pointers in the second half but finished at just 34.8 percent shooting overall from the field in the loss.

Smith led the team with 21 points and eight rebounds. Cash scored 14 of her 17 points in the second half and Charvat finished with nine points.

SAU (12-15, 8-10 MCC) finished the regular season as the sixth seed in the MCC and will visit the third-seeded Tigers Thursday night. The teams split two games this year with the Bees taking a 79-61 home win on Jan. 21.

The tournament semifinals will be Saturday and the championship game will be Monday.

Smith breaks blocks record in Bees win over Viterbo

Feb. 15, 2012

Box score | Video (courtesy SAUtv) of Smith breaking blocked shot record

Fittingly, the St. Ambrose seniors stole the show on Senior Night. Behind a record-setting night from Annie Smith (left) and solid contributions from Mollie Yeargle (middle) and Michelle Charvat (right), SAU picked up a 60-47 win over Viterbo Wednesday night.

The three were recognized during a pre-game ceremony at likely the last home game of the year and then helped the Queen Bees lead virtually wire-to-wire.

Yeargle scored 13 points and handed out four assists and Charvat finished with six points and four rebounds, but Smith provided the highlight of the evening.

The 6-2 forward came up with 13 points and four boards but it was her second of three blocked shots (watch) that put her name in the SAU record book. Her block with 12:40 left in the game gave her 176 in her three-year Bee career and moved her past Cindy Born for the school's career shot blocking record. Smith picked up another block later in the game giving her 177.

Junior Samantha Saladino backed up the seniors with 14 points and nine rebounds, and freshmen Katie Schuler (eight points, 10 boards, five assists) and Katie Jensen (four points, 11 boards) also had strong performances.

The Bees used their defense to get the win. After allowing Viterbo (10-19, 8-9 MCC) to shot an opponent-best 46.7 percent in a 75-60 V-Hawks win in La Crosse, Wis., earlier this season, the Bees turned the tables. The V-Hawks were forced into 28.6 percent shooting for the game and just 14.7 percent  from beyond the arc. Viterbo's leading scorer Dani Templin was held to just four points.

St. Ambrose (12-14, 8-9 MCC) was able to build a double-digit lead in the first half. Smith and Yeargle keyed a 15-0 run in the later stages of the first half that turned a 21-18 deficit into a 33-21 advantage. Smith had seven points and Yeargle had six during the decisive run.

The lead was 33-23 at the half and Viterbo never got closer than eight points the rest of the way.

Along with the three players, SAU before the game also recognized senior and fourth-year team manager Sarah Goldberg, and four senior members of the cheerleading team - Joe Allegretti, Abbey Ewald and Kara Taylor.

The Queen Bees will wrap up the regular season Saturday with a 1 p.m. game at Iowa Wesleyan before turning their attention to the MCC Tournament, which begins with quarterfinal games on Feb. 23.

Charvat's 26 leads Bees to win at Waldorf

Feb. 11, 2012

Box score

Michelle Charvat (right) led four Bees in double figures with 26 points to help St. Ambrose pick up an 82-67 win at Waldorf Saturday afternoon.

Mollie Yeargle and Annie Smith each scored 12 points and Samantha Saladino chipped in with 11 points and 10 rebounds as the Queen Bees improved to 11-14 overall and 7-9 in the Midwest Collegiate Conference.

SAU used an unusual fast start and a solid shooting performance while displaying its typical strong defensive effort in the win.

The Bees hit their first three shots from the field in building a quick 9-2 lead behind four early points from Yeargle. After Waldorf (7-20, 4-12 MCC) fought back to take a 12-9 lead, Charvat buried a 3-pointer as part of a 9-0 run to push the Bees back in front 18-12.

The lead was 41-29 at the half behind Charvat's 11 first-half points. Smith had eight and Yeargle had seven in the game's first 20 minutes.

The Warriors closed to within two points in the opening minutes of the second play. But a rare four-point play from Charvat ignited an 11-0 run to give the Bees a 62-49 lead. SAU extended the lead to as many as 23 points before settling for the 15-point win.

St. Ambrose shot at least 44 percent in each half to finish at 45.5 percent for the game. The Bees also knocked down 9-of-36 3-point attempts. SAU has now topped 80 points in back-to-back games after only eclipsing the mark in one of the team's first 23 games.

Waldorf was limited to just 34.3 percent shooting.

The Queen Bees will next play their final regular-season home game Wednesday night by welcoming Viterbo to Lee Lohman Arena. The SAU seniors will be recognized before the game that is slated to tip off at 5:30 p.m.

St. Ambrose pushes second straight ranked foe to brink

Feb. 8, 2012

Box score

For the second straight game, St. Ambrose battled a nationally-ranked opponent down to the wire. But like in Saturday's 68-62 loss to #9 Grand View, the Queen Bees came up a little short in a 92-88 overtime loss at #13 Mount Mercy Wednesday night.

Annie Smith's (right) 3-pointer at the buzzer forced overtime, but after Samantha Saladino gave the Bees an 84-82 lead early in the extra session, Mount Mercy (20-7, 12-3 MCC) went on a 9-2 run to escape with the victory.

St. Ambrose, now 10-14 overall and 6-9 in the Midwest Collegiate Conference, had its chances in a back-and-forth affair. The Bees led by as many as nine points in the first half and the Mustangs had a nine-point advantage in the second half. SAU was able to climb back into the game thanks to a 7-0 run sparked by five points from Michelle Charvat, setting up a wild finish. There were five ties and neither team led by more than three over the final six minutes.

Lauren Cash (right) drilled a 3-pointer to put St. Ambrose in front 79-76 with less than a minute to go, but the turnover bug that has haunted SAU all season returned. The Bees turned the ball over the next three times they touched it as the Mustangs scored six straight points to build an 82-79 lead. However, Annie Smith gave the Bees a chance by knocking down the game-tying triple at the horn.

After shooting better than 45 percent in each half, SAU made only 2-of-6 shots in overtime. The Bees also committed four of their 22 turnovers in the final five minutes.

The loss overshadowed some outstanding individual performances. Cash hit 8-of-11 from the floor, including 4-of-6 from beyond the arc, to lead the team with 21 points. Saladino (20 points, 11 rebounds) and Charvat (12 points, 10 boards) had double-doubles and Katie Schuler flirted with a triple-double with eight points, 12 rebounds and nine assists. Annie Smith also reached double figures with 15 points.

The Bees will next visit Waldorf Saturday at 1 p.m.

Queen Bees fall a little short in loss to #9 Grand View

Feb. 4, 2012

Box score

St. Ambrose did almost everything it had to do to knock off #9 Grand View. The Queen Bees limited the Vikings to just 32.9 percent shooting, held the nation's leading scorer to five points under her scoring average, and avoided their season-long trend of falling behind big in the first half. 

But the Bees could not hit the big shot when they needed it and ultimately succumbed to the Vikings 68-62 Saturday afternoon at Lee Lohman Arena. The loss drops SAU to 10-13 overall and 6-8 in the Midwest Collegiate Conference.

On Play 4Kay and Bees vs. Cancer Pink Out Day, St. Ambrose came out strong in front of Honorary Coach Betsy Shovlain, the wife of SAU athletic director and men's basketball coach, who recently underwent her final successful radiation treatment at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.

A Michelle Charvat 3-pointer put the Bees up 21-15 midway through the first half. The lead was 31-28 before a dry spell hurt the Bees late in the half. Grand View (21-5, 13-1 MCC) closed on an 8-0 run, as SAU missed its final six shot of the half, to take a 36-31 lead at the break.

The Vikings extended their lead to 58-49 with just over seven minutes remaining. From there, the Bees got as close as three points on three separate occasions, the last time coming on a Samantha Saladino jumper to trim the deficit to 63-60 with 2:56 left.

But then the Bees found an inopportune time to go cold from the floor. SAU missed its final six shots from the field, and despite holding the Vikings without a basket over that same time frame, Grand View hit 5-of-9 from the line to seal the win. Saladino ended the scoring with a pair of free throws with less than two seconds left to account for the final score.

Saladino (left) led all players with 23 points and 12 rebounds. Mollie Yeargle (middle) scored 14 points and Annie Smith (right) netted 11.

SAU shot just 36.1 percent but held Grand View to 32.9 percent shooting. GVU's Jennifer Jorgensen entered the game averaging nearly 24 points per game, and scored 19 on 6-of-11 shooting Saturday. The Bees hit only 4-of-24 3-point attempts and just 1-of-12 in the second half.

Things do not get any easier for the Bees as the team will next travel to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to face #15 Mount Mercy Wednesday at 5:30 p.m.

Yeargle and Donnelly named Capital One Academic All-District

Feb. 2, 2012

CoSIDA release

Chris Donnelly and Mollie Yeargle (right) were named to the 2011-12 Capital One Academic All-District Basketball teams today. The two represent District 5 in the College Division, which includes NAIA, Canadian and two-year schools from Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota and Wisconsin.

The honor, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA), recognizes the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances on the floor and in the classroom. Nominees must be a starter or important reserve with at least a 3.30 cumulative grade point average.

Donnelly and Yeargle will now advance to the Capital One Academic All-America Team ballot, where first-, second- and third-team All-America honorees will be selected later this month.

Yeargle, a senior guard from Moline, Ill., is majoring in Exercise Science at St. Ambrose. She has started all 22 games for the Queen Bees this season and is averaging 9.5 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.0 steals per contest. Yeargle leads SAU in steals, is second in assists and fourth in scoring. She is also 10th in the MCC in 3-point percentage, knocking down 33.0 percent of her attempts.

Primarily responsible for guarding the opponents' top perimeter scorers, Yeargle routinely holds them under their scoring averages, and is a major reason why St. Ambrose currently ranks 18th in the country in field goal percentage defense (36.0 percent).

This is the second straight year Donnelly, a senior from Peoria, Ill., majoring in Industrial Engineering, has earned academic all-district honors. The do-it-all forward is among the Midwest Collegiate Conference leaders in blocked shots (first), steals (fourth), assists (11th), rebounding (12th) and scoring (22nd). He is averaging 11.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 2.1 blocks and 1.6 steals per game for the Bees, who at 17-8 overall and 11-2 in the conference are ranked #19 in the country.

Donnelly has scored in double figures 15 times this season and has had 14 games of at least two blocks. Earlier this season, he joined SAU's 1,000-point club, and he currently ranks 23rd on the school's all-time scoring list with 1,243 points in a Bee uniform.

Jensen, Yeargle and bench spark second half comeback

Feb. 1, 2012

Box score

Katie Jensen (top left), Mollie Yeargle (top right) and a spirited effort from the bench helped St. Ambrose overcome another sluggish start to post a 77-69 win over Clarke Wednesday night at Lee Lohman Arena. The win moves the Bees to 10-12 overall and 6-7 in the Midwest Collegiate Conference.

Down as many as 15 points and still behind 14 with 14:27 left in the game, SAU head coach Krista Van Hauen turned to her reserves. And they responded. Lauren Cash (bottom left), Lindsay Stopa      (bottom middle) and Carter Wear ( bottom right) teamed with starters Jensen and Yeargle to go on a 21-6 run to push the Bees in front 57-56 with just under eight minutes remaining. It was SAU's first lead since midway through the first half. Yeargle had seven points and Stopa had five during the run.

From there, the Bees slowly pulled away. Clarke (5-19, 2-11 MCC) took its last lead at 62-61 and then it was all St. Ambrose, primarily Jensen and Samantha Saladino, who returned to the court with six minutes on the clock. The pair combined for the game's next 14 points to give the Bees a 75-62 lead with 1:28 to play and SAU coasted from there.

Jensen finished with career highs of 21 points and 13 rebounds, and despite scoring SAU's first eight points of the game on 4-for-4 shooting, she recorded 13 points and nine rebounds after halftime. She was 9-of-12 from the field in her 37 minutes of work.

Yeargle scored 12 of her 17 in the decisive second half and added seven assists and six rebounds.

After missing all five of her first-half field goal attempts, Saladino was 4-of-6 from the floor in the second half to finish with 10 points.

SAU shot 52.8 percent in the second half, including a 50-percent mark beyond the arc, to finish at 45.6 percent for the game. The defense also stepped up in the second half, holding the Crusaders to just 37.5 percent shooting over the final 20 minutes. Clarke shot 50 percent in the first half.

Cash finished with eight points and Michelle Charvat added six in the win.

The Bees will next host Grand View Saturday at 1 p.m.

Queen Bees stumble at AIB

Jan. 28, 2012

Box score

Despite another double-double from Samantha Saladino (right), St. Ambrose fell at AIB 77-68 Saturday afternoon. The Queen Bees fall to 9-12 overall and 5-7 in the Midwest Collegiate Conference.

Saladino finished with 21 points and 12 rebounds, both team highs, giving her five double-doubles over the last seven games. But it came in a losing effort as SAU committed 23 turnovers and shot just 37.3 percent from the floor.

Another slow start also put the Bees in an early hole. AIB (10-14, 3-9 MCC) raced to a 12-1 lead less than four minutes in as SAU missed its first four shots from the field. Midway through the first half, St. Ambrose put together its best offensive stretch of the day. Trailing 16-6, SAU went on a 16-2 run by hitting 6-of-11. Lauren Cash scored five and Saladino added four during the spurt that put the Bees in front 22-18.

But then the Bees went cold, hitting just one of their last eight shots in the half as the Eagles built a 44-31 halftime advantage.

The lead grew to as many as 17 points in the early stages of the second half. St. Ambrose did mount a rally, getting as close as four points with 2:31 to play, before AIB scored five straight points to rebuild a 74-69 lead with 33 seconds remaining to put the game away.

SAU did the job defensively, limiting the Eagles to 34.3 percent shooting. But the Bees' own struggles offensively and the turnovers proved to be too much. AIB outscored SAU 28-9 in points off turnovers.

Cash came off the bench to drop in 13 points for the Bees. Katie Jensen had an 11-point, 10-rebound double-double. Katie Schuler scored eight points and Jane Schiffler finished with seven.

The Bees will next host Clarke Wednesday at 5:30 p.m.

Late rally comes up just short in loss to William Penn

Jan. 26, 2012

Box score

St. Ambrose rallied from a seven-point deficit in the final five minutes to finally catch William Penn, only to fall on a late Lady Statesmen jumper 60-58 Thursday night at Lee Lohman Arena. The Queen Bees drop to 9-11 overall and 5-6 in the Midwest Collegiate Conference.

SAU trailed by as many as 12 points in the second half and found itself behind 58-51 with five minutes left. Annie Smith scored four straight to pull the Bees to within three points, and Michelle Charvat capped the 7-0 run with a 3-pointer to knot the score at 58-58 with 43 seconds remaining.

But WPU's Sarah Martin ended her team's drought by drilling what proved to be the game-winning jumper with 12 seconds left. Katie Jensen's shot in the final seconds was off the mark to snap SAU's two-game winning streak.

The Bees were able to stay close thanks to their defense. William Penn shot just 32.8 percent from the floor, including just 29.4 percent in the second half. SAU also limited Orielle Thomas, who scored 34 points in WPU's 79-74 overtime win over SAU earlier this season, to just 13 points on 4-of-14 shooting.

But St. Ambrose could never get anything going offensively until the end. SAU shot 28.8 percent for the game and just 17.4 percent from beyond the arc.

Jensen led the Bees with 15 points and 12 rebounds. Samantha Saladino scored 14 points and Annie Smith netted 12.

SAU will next visit AIB Saturday at 1 p.m.

Queen Bees outlast Saints 63-59 for second straight win

Jan. 23, 2012

Box score

St. Ambrose needed every one of its 23 free throws to offset some offensive struggles and get past Ashford 63-59 Monday night in Clinton, Iowa. The Queen Bees, winners of two straight for the first time since opening the season 2-0, are 9-10 overall and 5-5 in the Midwest Collegiate Conference.

The Queen Bees shot only 30.6 percent from the field but dominated down low, finishing with a 47-32 rebounding advantage. SAU also outscored Ashford (7-14, 3-7 MCC) 23-13 from the line. The Bees hit 23-of-27 from the stripe, including several big ones down the stretch.

In fact, SAU did not score from the field in the final 5:27 after a Samantha Saladino jumper gave St. Ambrose a 53-48 lead, matching the Bees' largest lead of the night. SAU did all its damage from the line, hitting 10-of-12 free throws from that point on.

No free throws were more important than the pair Michelle Charvat drained with 43 seconds left to put St. Ambrose in front 60-59 after the Saints had rallied to grab a 59-58 lead just seconds earlier.

After Ashford missed a 3-pointer, Katie Schuler knocked down two free throws to extend the lead to 62-59. Katie Jensen finished off the win by drilling 1-of-2 with 15 seconds on the clock following a Saint turnover.

No Bee missed more than one free throw helping the team shoot 85.2 percent from the stripe.

SAU trailed only 28-25 at the half despite 25.7 percent shooting. The Saints pushed their lead to as many as nine points in the opening minutes of the second half before the Bees rallied.

Charvat (left) led all players with 18 points and added seven rebounds. Saladino (right) continued her strong play of late with another double-double, this one a 17-point, 12-rebound effort. Jensen was a rebound shy of a double-double, finishing with nine boards to go along with 13 points. Annie Smith also pulled down nine boards and chipped in six points.

St. Ambrose limited Ashford to 36.4 percent shooting and forced 17 Saint turnovers. Thanks to the large edge in rebounding, SAU outscored Ashford 24-11 on second-chance points.

The Bees will look to push their winning streak to three games Thursday when the team hosts William Penn at 5:30 p.m.

Smith named MCC Player of the Week

Jan. 23, 2012

MCC release

Annie Smith (right) was named the Midwest Collegiate Conference Women's Basketball Player of the Week today after leading St. Ambrose in scoring and rebounding in a pair of games last week.

The senior forward from Davenport, Iowa, averaged 20.0 points on 59.3 percent shooting and 14.5 rebounds while playing 34.0 minutes off the bench both games.

Smith started with 14 points and 11 rebounds in a loss at Viterbo Wednesday. She hit 6-of-12 from the floor and added three assists, two blocked shots and a steal.

Saturday, Smith came back with 26 points and 18 rebounds in a 79-61 win over Iowa Wesleyan. She finished 10-of-15 from the field, blocked four shots and handed out two assists.

Smith is averaging 14.8 points and 11.1 rebounds this season. She is among the national leaders in defensive rebounding (third at 7.8 rpg), total rebounding (fifth), blocks (fifth at 2.6 bpg), offensive rebounding (20th at 3.3 rpg), field goal percentage (37th at 43.8 percent) and scoring (47th).

The Bees return to action tonight at Ashford at 5:30 p.m.

Queen Bees dominate boards in defeating Iowa Wesleyan 79-61

Jan. 21, 2012

Box score

St. Ambrose used a 44-25 rebounding edge, thanks to dominating efforts from Annie Smith and Samantha Saladino, to defeat Iowa Wesleyan 79-61 Saturday afternoon at Lee Lohman Arena.

Smith finished with game highs of 26 points and 18 rebounds and Saladino added a 15-point, 10-rebound, six-assist performance in helping the Queen Bees move to 8-10 overall and 4-5 in the Midwest Collegiate Conference.

The work on the glass coupled with a season-best 53.8 percent shooting afternoon led to the Bees' second-largest win since opening the year with a 79-51 victory over Trinity Christian back on Nov. 1. The team also picked up an 18-point win at Clarke earlier this month.

Unlike earlier games, SAU came out strong right from the start. The Bees hit five of their first seven shots and their first four 3-point attempts in racing to a 14-8 lead just 4:20 into the contest.

The Bees started hot and barely cooled. Leading by as many as 15 points in the first half, SAU settled for a 37-32 halftime advantage. Smith had already recorded a double-double of 12 points and 11 rebounds and Saladino was just off the mark with 11 points and nine boards in the opening half, a half in which the Bees grabbed a 26-10 rebounding edge.

Nursing a 43-37 edge with 17:31 to play, the Queen Bees ripped off 13 straight points to blow things open. Smith had seven and Saladino added four during the spurt. Iowa Wesleyan (10-8, 6-3 MCC) never got closer than 11 points the rest of the way.

St. Ambrose shot a sizzling 60.9 percent to outscore the Tigers 42-29 in the second half. Along with shooting nearly 54 percent for the game, the Bees shot 52.6 percent from beyond the arc (10-of-19)and 92.9 percent from the line (13-of-14). SAU also collected 21 assists on the 28 baskets. All against an Iowa Wesleyan team which had surrendered just 57.5 points on 37.1 percent shooting entering play.

Mollie Yeargle (left) finished with 15 points and Michelle Charvat (right) scored 14 to give the Bees four players in double figures.

The Bees will look to keep things rolling Monday night at Ashford. Tip-off is slated for 5:30 p.m.

St. Ambrose falls at Viterbo 75-60

Jan. 18, 2012

Box score

St. Ambrose suffered through another slow start and could never recover in a 75-60 loss at Viterbo Wednesday night in La Crosse, Wis. The Queen Bees are now 7-10 overall and 3-5 in the Midwest Collegiate Conference.

Viterbo (8-12, 6-2 MCC) scored the game's first five points and led 10-2 just three minutes in. SAU trailed 30-13 with just over five minutes left in the half. Five points from Katie Jensen helped get the Bees to within 37-24 at the break.

Samantha Saladino, Annie Smith and Katie Schuler hit consecutive baskets to get St. Ambrose as close as 46-36 with more than 14 minutes remaining. But minutes later, the V-Hawks completed an 11-1 run to take a 20-point lead, their largest of the night. The closest SAU got the rest of the way was 13 on a Smith jumper inside the final minute.

The Bees struggled to slow the V-Hawks. Viterbo shot 46.7 percent for the game, a season best for an SAU opponent, and shot at a 52-percent clip in the second half.

St. Ambrose shot 41.1 percent but hit only 3-of-17 from beyond the arc, and missed all six 3-point attempts in the second half.

Smith and Mollie Yeargle led the Bees by each scoring 14 points. Smith also grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds. Saladino chipped in with 13 points and Michelle Charvat finished with eight.

The Bees will next host Iowa Wesleyan Saturday at 1 p.m.

Queen Bees snap two-game skid in defeating Waldorf

Jan. 14, 2012

Box score

Katie Jensen (right) made the most of her first career start to help St. Ambrose defeat Waldorf 68-56 in a Midwest Collegiate Conference game Saturday afternoon at Lee Lohman Arena.

The freshman scored 12 points and grabbed nine rebounds, narrowly missing giving SAU three players with double-doubles in the win. Samantha Saladino finished with 17 points and 13 rebounds and Annie Smith had 11 points and 10 boards to help the Queen Bees move to 7-9 overall and 3-4 in the MCC.

SAU came out strong, taking a 9-4 lead less than four minutes in, as Katie Schuler assisted on the Bees' first four scores. With Schuler then forced to the bench with two early fouls, Waldorf (4-13, 2-5 MCC) took advantage. The Warriors went on a 20-6 run after the Bees' freshman point guard checked out of the game to take a 24-15 lead late in the first half.

St. Ambrose bounced back to close the half on a 10-3 spurt to trail only 27-25 at the break.

Saladino quickly tied the game early in the second half, and after Waldorf hit a 3-pointer to lead 30-27, the Bees went on a run. Ten straight points, four coming from both Smith and Michelle Charvat, gave St. Ambrose a 37-30 lead, a lead the Bees would never relinquish.

The Warriors did pull to within 44-41 with nine minutes to play, but a 15-2 SAU run sealed the win. Smith, Charvat and Jensen each contributed five points in the game-clinching run.

SAU shot 53.3 percent from the floor in outscoring Waldorf 43-29 in the second half. The Bees finished at 41.7 percent shooting for the game while limiting the Warriors to a 33.9 percent clip.

St. Ambrose, averaging nearly 23 turnovers a game entering the contest, finished with just 15 turnovers. The Bees also outscored the Warriors 16-0 in fast-break points, with 14 of those points coming after halftime.

Charvat gave SAU four players in double figures as she finished with 16. Schuler was scoreless but handed out eight of the team's 17 assists.

The Bees will next visit Viterbo Wednesday at 5:30 p.m.

Turnovers again haunt Queen Bees in loss to Mount Mercy

Jan. 11, 2012

Box score

Down 40-22 at the half, St. Ambrose made several runs in the second half but #9 Mount Mercy always had an answer in the Mustangs' 80-67 win Wednesday night at Lee Lohman Arena. The Queen Bees fall to 6-9 overall and 2-4 in the Midwest Collegiate Conference.

SAU, playing its first home game since a 62-61 win over AIB on Dec. 7, scored the first five points of the second half and got as close as nine points on a Samantha Saladino 3-pointer with 12:15 to play. But like they did all night, the Mustangs responded. Six straight points on back-to-back 3-pointers restored a 15-point lead and squashed any late comeback hopes.

Neither team shot well but the difference came in the turnover battle. SAU committed 21 turnovers which led to 38 Mustang points. Mount Mercy (14-4, 6-0 MCC) turned the ball over only eight times, which the Bees converted into a mere seven points.

Annie Smith finished with 16 points, with 14 coming in the second half. Saladino had 14 points and grabbed a game-high 15 rebounds while Katie Schuler scored 12.

The Bees will next host Waldorf Saturday at 1 p.m.

Poor shooting leads to MCC loss at Grand View

Jan. 7, 2012

Box score

St. Ambrose shot only 22.6 percent from the floor in losing 62-42 at Grand View Saturday afternoon. The Queen Bees are now 6-8 overall and 2-3 in the Midwest Collegiate Conference.

After a Michelle Charvat basket gave SAU an early 2-0 lead, the Bees went nearly four minutes without a point as Grand View (12-5, 4-1 MCC) scored 13 straight points to grab a 13-2 lead.

St. Ambrose got to within two points midway through the first half but the Vikings closed the half with a 14-0 run to lead 38-20 at the half. The Bees shot only 26.9 percent and committed 14 turnovers in the opening half.

Twice in the second half SAU got as close as nine points, the last time coming on a Lauren Cash free throw with 8:46 left. But the Bees missed their next eight shots before Jane Schiffler ended the scoring with a layup in the final 25 seconds.

SAU limited Grand View to only 30.4 percent shooting in the second half but were unable to make a run due to their own 18.5 percent shooting.

Samantha Saladino was the lone Bee to score in double figures, finishing with 12 points. Mollie Yeargle and Katie Schuler each finished with nine points.

St. Ambrose will play its first home game in more than a month when the Bees host Mount Mercy Wednesday at 5:30 p.m.

Queen Bees shut down Clarke in 67-49 victory

Jan. 4, 2012

Box score

St. Ambrose completely shut down Clarke in a 67-49 Midwest Collegiate Conference win Wednesday night in Dubuque, Iowa. The Queen Bees are now 6-7 overall and 2-2 in the MCC.

SAU forced the Crusaders into 25.4 percent shooting for the game and a dismal 20 percent in the first half. Clarke (3-12, 0-4 MCC) made only 15-of-59 shots from the floor.

Along with the defensive effort, the Bees came out strong. Mollie Yeargle knocked down two early 3-pointers and Michelle Charvat drilled another to give SAU a 9-2 lead just 2:26 into the game. The lead reached double digits minutes later and the advantage was 34-20 at the half.

Clarke did make a run in the second half, getting to within five points twice, but St. Ambrose never relinquished the lead. Leading 56-48 with just over four minutes remaining, SAU closed the game on an 11-1 run with Charvat scoring six of the team's final eight points.

The Bees shot 45.3 percent for the game and finished with a 51-30 edge in rebounding.

Charvat led all scorers with 22 points, 15 coming in the second half. Yeargle hit four 3-pointers on her way to 17 points. Annie Smith scored nine and grabbed a game-high 14 rebounds.

The Bees will next visit #14 Grand View Saturday at 1 p.m.

Saladino named to Saint Xavier Holiday All-Tournament team

Dec. 29, 2011

Box score | Tournament website

Samantha Saladino (right) was named to the all-tournament team after helping St. Ambrose finish fourth at the Saint Xavier Holiday Tournament this week. The Queen Bees finished the three-day tournament with an 83-78 loss to Roosevelt Thursday to drop to 5-7 overall. It was the second tough loss of the year to Roosevelt as the Bees also fell to the Lakers 79-75 back on Nov. 27.

Saladino averaged 13.7 points and 5.7 rebounds over the three games while shooting 58.6 percent from the floor. She scored in double figures in every game.

Against Roosevelt, Saladino was one of four Bees to hit double figures, finishing with 18 points. Mollie Yeargle paced SAU with 21 points, Annie Smith scored 16 and Michelle Charvat added 12.

St. Ambrose was strong early, taking an 11-4 lead less than five minutes in behind six quick points from Saladino. Despite 14 first-half points from the 6-0 junior, the Bees trailed 40-34 at the half.

A Yeargle 3-pointer sparked an 8-0 run in the early stages of the second half to give SAU a 54-51 advantage. But Roosevelt (9-7) responded with an 8-0 run of its own to regain the lead for good. The Bees got to within three points four times in the last two minutes, but the Lakers hit 6-of-8 free throws in the final minute to seal the win.

Roosevelt finished 31-of-37 from the line while SAU was 18-of-24. The Bees were also hurt by 18 turnovers which led to 19 Laker points.

St. Ambrose will return to Midwest Collegiate Conference play Wednesday, Jan. 4, at Clarke. Tip-off is slated for 5:30 p.m.

St. Ambrose stopped by #4 Davenport

Dec. 28, 2011

Box score | Tournament website

St. Ambrose was unable to overcome a poor first half and fell to #4 Davenport (Mich.) 75-49 in a semifinal game at the Saint Xavier Holiday Tournament in Chicago, Ill, Wednesday. The Queen Bees are now 5-6 overall and will play for third-place Thursday at 5 p.m.

SAU shot only 18.8 percent (6-of-32) and committed 13 of its 20 turnovers in falling behind 41-18 at the half. The team missed its first six field goal attempts and started the game 1-of-9 from the floor in getting behind 20-2 in the game's first five minutes.

The Bees shot at a 41.4 percent clip in the second half but never threatened Davenport (13-2).

Samantha Saladino led St. Ambrose with 11 points. Michelle Charvat scored 10 points while Mollie Yeargle and Carter Wear each finished with six. Annie Smith led all players with eight rebounds to go along with her five points.

The Bees will face the loser of Wednesday night's Saint Xavier-Roosevelt game for third place. SAU has faced both teams already this season, losing close contests to both. St. Ambrose fell at home to Roosevelt 79-75 on Nov. 27 and lost to Saint Xavier 60-57 in Hawaii on Dec. 20.

Queen Bees open Saint Xavier Tournament with nine-point win

Dec. 27, 2011

Box score | Tournament website

Back from a weeklong trip to Hawaii, St. Ambrose went right to work and took care of Calumet-St. Joseph 60-51 in a first-round game at the 2011 Saint Xavier Holiday Tournament in Chicago, Ill. The Queen Bees, now 5-5 overall, will play Davenport (Mich.) in a tournament semifinal Wednesday at 5 p.m.

After spotting Calumet a 2-0 lead, the Bees took over. A 17-2 run, sparked by seven points from Annie Smith and four from Samantha Saladino, put St. Ambrose in front 17-4. The lead was 31-22 at the half.

Calumet-St. Joseph made a late run to pull within four points with just under three minutes to play. But Mollie Yeargle hit a pair from the line before Michelle Charvat iced the win by knocking down a 3-pointer with 1:53 left.

SAU shot 56 percent in the first half in building the nine-point lead and shot 52.2 percent for the game while playing its typical strong defense. Calumet shot just 29.6 percent in the first half and finished at 31.6 percent.

The Bees forced the Crimson Wave to miss nine of their first 11 shots. Calumet-St. Joseph finished just 18-of-57 from the floor.

Four different players cracked double figures for the Bees. Saladino and Smith each finished with 12 points and Charvat and Yeargle each scored 10. Carter Wear came off the bench to drop in six points. Saladino also led all players with 11 rebounds as SAU finished with a 36-30 edge on the boards.

The Bees will get a tough challenge in the semifinals, facing Davenport, the fourth-ranked team in NAIA Division II. The Panthers are 12-2 overall and have won seven straight, including an 81-51 dismantling of St. Francis (Ill.) in a tournament first-round game Tuesday.

Late rally comes up three points short in Hawaii

Dec. 20, 2011

Box score | Tournament website | Trip blog

Trailing the #10 team in NAIA Division I by double figures for much of the game and still down nine with just over five minutes to play, it would have been understandable if St. Ambrose packed it in. After all, the Queen Bees were spending their final days in Hawaii. But SAU battled back, closed to within a point in the final minute and had three shots to tie or take the lead late, including Annie Smith's good look at a 3-pointer at the buzzer.

All three shots were off the mark as SAU (4-5) fell 60-57 to Saint Xavier but the Bees may have built some momentum heading back to the mainland before getting into the thick of Midwest Collegiate Conference play in just two weeks.

Down 58-49 with 5:09 left, Katie Schuler started the rally by hitting a pair from the line. Michelle Charvat knocked down two 3-pointers to cap her 18-point effort and get the Bees to within 58-57 with 1:29 remaining.

With the defense forcing Saint Xavier to miss its final six shots from the floor over the last five minutes, the Bees had their chances.

Katie Schuler and Smith had chances to put the Bees in front but could not connect. The Cougars hit two free throws with three seconds to play to grab a 60-57 lead. St. Ambrose got the shot it wanted, but Smith's 3-pointer bounced off the rim.

SAU made a game of it despite shooting only 28.6 percent from the floor, committing 27 turnovers and trailing by as many as 14 points in the second half. The Bees dominated inside, grabbing a 50-32 edge on the boards and outscoring the Cougars 19-7 from the line. Shooting 69.3 percent from the line entering the game, St. Ambrose hit 19-of-20, including all 12 second-half attempts, against Saint Xavier.

Charvat was the lone Bee in double figures, finishing with 18. Smith scored nine and hauled in 13 rebounds. Samantha Saladino finished with eight points and nine boards and Mollie Yeargle added seven points and seven rebounds.

SAU will next compete in the three-day Saint Xavier Christmas Tournament in Chicago Dec. 27-29. The Bees will open against Calumet-St. Joseph at 3 p.m. and then play either St. Francis or Davenport the next day.

Queen Bees unable to hold onto lead late, fall in overtime

Dec. 10, 2011

Box score

St. Ambrose limited William Penn to just 38.8 percent shooting but the Lady Statesmen (3-11, 1-2 MCC) hit big shots when they needed them to get past the Queen Bees 79-74 in overtime Saturday afternoon in Oskaloosa, Iowa. The loss drops SAU to 4-4 overall and 1-2 in the Midwest Collegiate Conference.

After slowing the WPU offense for the game's first 38:40, St. Ambrose saw the Statesmen hit five of their final seven shots from the floor and 9 of their final 12 free throws over the last 1:20 of regulation and the five-minute overtime to pull out the win.

In a game featuring 11 lead changes and 10 ties, the Bees appeared to be in good shape when Annie Smith's layup gave the team a 66-62 lead with 1:01 to play. But the Statesmen cut the lead in half on their next possession and were able to force overtime when Orielle Thomas knocked down two free throws with eight seconds on the clock. SAU was unable to get a final shot off in regulation.

WPU carried the momentum into overtime by scoring on its first three possessions. SAU missed its first three shots and turned the ball over four times in the extra session. Even after falling behind by six with just over 30 seconds left, the Bees had their chance. Annie Smith sandwiched two baskets inside around a pair of missed Statesmen free throws to cut the deficit to 76-74 with 15 seconds on the clock.

But William Penn hit 3-of-4 from the line and Mollie Yeargle and Katie Schuler both missed 3-pointers in the final seconds.

The loss overshadowed some big individual performances from the Queen Bees. Smith finished with 25 points and 18 rebounds; Saladino added 15 points, 14 boards and seven assists; and Yeargle scored 20. Michelle Charvat threw in 11 points and grabbed seven rebounds. Thomas finished with 34 points and 13 rebounds for the Statesmen.

The Bees will next look to bounce back in Hawaii at the Hoop N Surf Tournament Dec. 19-20. SAU will play an exhibition game against Hawaii Pacific before taking on Saint Xavier in a regular-season contest.

Late free throw gets Queen Bees past AIB 62-61

Dec. 7, 2011

Box score

Sam Saladino hit 1-of-2 from the line with 2.8 seconds to play to lift St. Ambrose to a 62-61 win over AIB Wednesday night at Lee Lohman Arena. The win moves the Queen Bees to 4-3 overall and 1-1 in the Midwest Collegiate Conference.

After AIB (5-6, 0-2 MCC) tied the game with a 3-pointer inside the final 15 seconds, the Bees raced down court and got the ball down low to Saladino who was fouled as she spun inside. The junior hit her first free throw before missing the second. The Eagles grabbed the rebound but their desperation 3-pointer from midcourt came up well short.

It was another back-and-forth affair for the Queen Bees, who snapped a two-game losing streak.

St. Ambrose used a 10-0 run, fueled by 3-pointers from Michelle Charvat and Katie Schuler, who provided a spark in her first career start, to take a 19-10 lead midway through the first half.

But over the final 6:45 of the half, SAU made only 1-of-6 shots from the floor and committed seven turnovers as AIB battled back for a 28-28 tie at the half.

Neither team led by more than five points in the second half, yet the Bees appeared safe when Schuler hit a pair from the line to give SAU a 59-55 lead with 39 seconds remaining. But AIB converted a three-point play and after two Mollie Yeargle free throws, hit the game-tying triple before Saladino came through for the Bees.

Charvat finished with a game-high 19 points and Schuler scored 17. Lauren Cash came off the bench for nine points and Annie Smith added eight points and nine rebounds.

St. Ambrose shot only 36 percent from the field but hit 21-of-27 from the line (77.8 percent). AIB was limited to 33.8 percent shooting and made just 9-of-16 from the stripe.

The Bees will next visit William Penn Saturday at 1 p.m.

Bees drop MCC opener 66-63 to Ashford

Dec. 3, 2011

Box score

St. Ambrose rallied from an 11-point second-half deficit to take a one-point lead in the final minute but Ashford's fifth and final 3-pointer of the half lifted the Saints to a 66-63 win Saturday afternoon in Lee Lohman Arena. The Queen Bees drop to 3-3 overall and 0-1 in the Midwest Collegiate Conference.

Just 13 seconds after Annie Smith gave SAU its first lead since the opening half at 60-59 with 45 seconds to go, Quinn Rear hit a 3-pointer from the top of the key to push Ashford (3-6, 1-1 MCC) back in front.

Smith missed the front end of a one-and-one and Michelle Charvat's follow after an offensive rebound was off the mark before the Saints hit two free throws to take a 64-60 lead with 10 seconds remaining. Charvat knocked down a 3-pointer to cut the deficit to a point but again Ashford came through at the line by hitting a pair with less than three seconds to play to regain a three-point advantage. Charvat's potential game-tying 3-pointer from half court bounced off the back rim at the buzzer.

As they have several times already this season, the Bees had to play from behind. The Saints led by six points at the half and extended the lead to 11 points in the first few minutes of the second half. St. Ambrose rallied to take a one-point lead on Smith's late basket before Ashford pulled out the win.

Smith led all players with 17 points and 18 rebounds. Mollie Yeargle finished with 12 points and Charvat scored 10.

The Bee defense limited the Saints to 39.3 percent shooting but that was off-set by SAU's 34.4 percent shooting.

St. Ambrose will look to snap its two-game losing streak Wednesday by hosting new MCC member AIB at 5:30 p.m.

St. Ambrose stunned by Roosevelt 79-75

Nov. 27, 2011

Box score

St. Ambrose turned the ball over 22 times in a 79-75 loss to Roosevelt Sunday afternoon at Lee Lohman Arena. The Queen Bees are now 3-2 overall.

After falling behind by as many as 13 points in the second half, SAU mounted a late charge. Samantha Saladino's basket in the paint capped a 7-0 run to tie the game at 73-73 with just 1:11 to play. Roosevelt (4-5) regained the lead on a free throw before Michelle Charvat knocked down two from the line with 36 seconds remaining to give the Bees their first lead since midway through the first half.

Just five seconds later, the Lakers' Casey Davis drove in for two to put Roosevelt back in front. SAU got a good shot at the lead but Saladino's short jumper in the paint rolled around and out and the Lakers tracked down the rebound. The Queen Bees still had a chance to tie after two Roosevelt free throws pushed the lead to 78-75 but the last of the 22 SAU turnovers ended any comeback hopes. The Lakers hit a final free throw inside the last second to end the scoring.

St. Ambrose shot 43.3 percent from the floor, 36.8 percent from beyond the arc and 88.9 percent from the line but could not overcome a sluggish start.

Saladino led the Bees with 19 points. Charvat scored 17 and grabbed a team-best seven rebounds. Mollie Yeargle also reached double digits with 12 points.

The Bees will next open Midwest Collegiate Conference play by hosting Ashford Saturday at 1 p.m.

Bees survive poor shooting to post 61-52 win

Nov. 22, 2011

Box score

St. Ambrose outscored Lindenwood-Belleville 23-7 from the line to overcome some poor shooting from the field in a 61-52 win Tuesday afternoon at Lee Lohman Arena.

The Queen Bees shot only 28.8 percent from the floor overall but improved their record to 3-1 overall.

Annie Smith again led the way with 16 points, 10 rebounds and four blocked shots. She hit all seven of her free-throw attempts. Lauren Cash scored 13 points to go along with four boards. Mollie Yeargle, Michelle Charvat and Katie Jensen each scored eight points while Samantha Saladino was scoreless but grabbed 10 rebounds.

St. Ambrose used a 10-0 run, started and finished by 3-pointers from Cash, to take a 22-13 lead midway through the first half, and then led by between five and 12 points the rest of the way. SAU sealed the win by hitting 9-of-14 from the line over the final 3:19.

The free throw line was the story as SAU converted 23-of-33 for the game while Lindenwood-Belleville (3-6) was only 7-of-11.

Eighteen of the Bee free throws came in the second half to help offset 13 percent shooting (3-of-23) from the floor after halftime. But the SAU defense limited the Lady Lynx to 32.3 percent shooting for the game. St. Ambrose also finished with a 51-41 edge on the boards with 14 rebounds coming on the offensive end.

The Bees will next host Roosevelt Sunday at 2 p.m.

Smith named MCC Player of the Week

Nov. 21, 2011

MCC release

Annie Smith was named the Midwest Collegiate Conference Women's Basketball Player of the Week today after a 29-point, 20-rebound performance at Olivet Nazarene Saturday.

Smith, a senior from Davenport, Iowa, hit 12-of-20 shots from the floor and 5-of-8 from the line to net a career high against the #12 team in NAIA Division I. She scored 20 points in the second half. The 20 rebounds also marked a career best for Smith.

Through three games this season, Smith is averaging 24.3 points, 12.7 rebounds and 3.7 blocks per game. She is shooting better than 58 percent from the field.

St. Ambrose swept the weekly basketball awards as freshman Nicholas Frazier was named the MCC Men's Basketball Player of the Week.

Smith and the #10 Queen Bees (2-1) will host Lindenwood-Belleville Tuesday at 3 p.m. in Lee Lohman Arena.

Queen Bees suffer first loss in shootout at Olivet Nazarene

Nov. 19, 2011

Box score

Olivet Nazarene knocked down 17 3-pointers to hand #10 St. Ambrose its first loss of the season, a 114-91 setback in Bourbonnais, Ill., Saturday. The Queen Bees are now 2-1 overall.

The Bee defense limited the Tigers to 38 percent shooting from the field and a 28-percent mark from beyond the arc. But in large part due to 43 SAU turnovers, Olivet Nazarene, the #12 team in NAIA Division I, was able to attempt 102 total shots, including 60 3-pointers.

The loss overshadowed a huge performance from Annie Smith (top right).

The senior forward finished with career bests of 29 points and 20 rebounds. It was the second straight game Smith notched a career high in points. She scored 27 points against Morningside last Saturday.

Lauren Cash (bottom left) scored 16 points and Samantha Saladino (bottom right) came off the bench to net 15. Mollie Yeargle and Michelle Charvat each scored nine.

SAU shot 50 percent in the loss but attempted only 70 shots, 32 fewer than the Tigers. The Bees also only hit 2-of-12 3-pointers.

SAU will look to bounce back at home Tuesday against Lindenwood-Belleville. Tip-off is slated for 3 p.m.

Bees knock off #2 Morningside in overtime

Nov. 12, 2011

Box score | Video

Annie Smith (left) and Michelle Charvat (right) had double-doubles and Jane Schiffler (bottom right) finished with 14 points, including a big 3-pointer in overtime, as #10 St. Ambrose defeated #2 Morningside 75-72 in overtime Saturday afternoon at Lee Lohman Arena.

Down 69-67 with 2:39 to play in the extra session, Schiffler buried her third triple of the game to put the Queen Bees up for good. Smith added a three-point play and a pair of free throws to extend the lead to six. Morningside trimmed the deficit to three points inside the final minute and had two chances to tie, but both 3-pointers were off the mark.

Smith finished with a career-high 27 points while knocking down 8-of-13 from the field and 11-of-14 from the line. She also pulled down 12 rebounds. Charvat scored 13 points, while hitting all six of her free throw attempts, and grabbed a game-high 15 boards.

But it was the SAU defense that was the story.

Down 12 at the half, St. Ambrose forced the Mustangs to miss 11 of their first 12 shots of the second half as SAU erased the 42-30 deficit to take a 46-45 lead with just under 12 minutes to play.

From there, the game went back-and-forth. Morningside (2-1) led by four with 5:38 remaining but a free throw by Smith and a jumper from Mollie Yeargle got the Bees back to within a point. Another big Schiffler 3-pointer, this one with 2:41 to play, put the Bees in front by a point with 2:41 left. The Mustangs regained the lead on a 3-pointer before Smith forced overtime with a basket in the paint with just under a minute to go. Smith blocked the Mustangs' final attempt in the closing seconds of regulation.

After shooting 48 percent in the first half, Morningside shot only 18 percent in the second half and just 33 percent in overtime. SAU also forced 26 turnovers.

With Smith and Charvat helping dominate the paint, the Bees hit 25 free throws in the win.

It doesn't get any easier for the Bees. SAU will visit Olivet Nazarene, the #12 team in NAIA Division I, next Saturday at 3 p.m.

Queen Bees start season with 79-51 win over Trinity Christian

Nov. 1, 2011

Box score | Video

Behind strong debuts from several freshmen and expected contributions from familiar faces, the St. Ambrose women's basketball team opened the 2011-12 campaign with a 79-51 win over Trinity Christian Tuesday night at Lee Lohman Arena.

Senior Annie Smith (left) paced the Queen Bees with 17 points and freshman Katie Jensen (right) was a perfect 7-of-7 from the floor on her way to 15 points to lead the way. All 13 Queen Bees dressed played and 11 scored in the win.

SAU led throughout but didn't pull away until the second half. The Bee defense limited Trinity Christian to 29 percent shooting for the game and just 25 percent in the second half. The stingy defense also forced 27 Troll turnovers.

Leading 38-27 at the break, St. Ambrose held TCC without a field goal for the first 11:18 of the second half. During that time, the Trolls missed 12 shots and turned the ball over eight times while scoring just six points on free throws. By that point, the SAU lead had ballooned to 35 points at 68-33.

SAU finished 30-of-61 from the field, shooting at a 49.2 percent clip. The Bees also knocked down nine 3-pointers, with Smith burying three from beyond the arc.

Along with the double-digit performances from Smith and Jensen, sophomore Lauren Cash scored nine points, senior Mollie Yeargle had seven and freshman Carter Wear and junior Samantha Saladino each netted six. Smith, Wear, senior Michelle Charvat and freshman Lindsay Stopa shared the team lead with six rebounds each.

St. Ambrose will visit Indiana University Tuesday for an exhibition game with the Hoosiers beginning at 6 p.m. CT.

SAU ranked #10 in NAIA Division II preseason poll

Oct. 24, 2011

NAIA release

St. Ambrose is ranked #10 in the NAIA Division II Women's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 Preseason Poll announced by the national office today.

The Queen Bees, the preseason favorites in the Midwest Collegiate Conference and coming off a Sweet 16 appearance in last season's NAIA National Championships, received 271 points in the rankings.

Two-time defending national champion Northwestern (Iowa) received 13 of the 14 first-place votes to grab the top spot. Morningside (Iowa) is second while Indiana Wesleyan, Kansas Wesleyan and Briar Cliff (Iowa) round out the top five.

SAU is one of three MCC schools to crack the rankings as Grand View checked in at #20 and Mount Mercy slipped in at #25.

The poll was voted upon by a panel of head coaches representing each of the conferences and independents. The first regular-season poll will be announced on Nov. 28.

Queen Bees preseason favorites in Midwest Collegiate Conference

Oct. 21, 2011

MCC release

A year after winning both the Midwest Collegiate Conference regular season and tournament championships, expectations remain high for the St. Ambrose women's basketball team. The Queen Bees were tabbed as the league favorites in the 2011-12 conference preseason poll released today.

SAU received nine of 10 first-place votes to easily outdistance runner-up Grand View, which received the other first-place tally. The Bees earned 98 points, Grand View had 82 and Mount Mercy finished third with 80 points.

Despite the loss of all-American Ali Dolphin, St. Ambrose returns all-conference pick Annie Smith, Michelle Charvat and Mollie Yeargle along with a talented recruiting class put together by reigning MCC Coach of the Year Krista Van Hauen.

The Bees will tip off the 2011-12 campaign at home Nov. 1 against Trinity Christian at 7 p.m.

SAU releases 2011-12 women's basketball schedule

Aug. 18, 2011

Complete schedule

St. Ambrose University head women's basketball coach Krista Van Hauen announced her team's 2011-12 schedule today. The slate includes an exhibition game at Indiana University on Nov. 3 and two games as part of a trip to Hawaii Dec. 19-20.

The season tips off Nov. 1 when the Queen Bees host Trinity Christian College at 5:30 p.m. Just two days later, SAU will travel to Bloomington, Ind., to face the Hoosiers. 

Then before conference play gets into full swing, St. Ambrose will travel to Hawaii to face NCAA Division II Hawaii-Pacific on Dec. 19 and NAIA Division I power Saint Xavier on Dec. 20.

"These will be great experiences for the team," Van Hauen said. "We get to play in Assembly Hall against a Big Ten team. Then we'll have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to go to Hawaii, play some really tough teams and get a chance to bond as a group and relax."

The exhibition and trip to Hawaii are part of a challenging non-conference schedule that also includes a home game with perennial power Morningside on Nov. 12, a road contest at NAIA Division I Olivet Nazarene on Nov. 19, and a possible rematch with Saint Xavier as part of the annual three-day Saint Xavier Christmas Tournament Dec. 27-29. The early-season schedule is made more difficult with last year's graduations of all-American Ali Dolphin, Megan Cash and Mary Burmeister.

"We've lost a few key players from last year but I think we've brought in a pretty good group," Van Hauen said. "We'll have to see how fast our newcomers can mesh with our returners. We definitely face a challenging schedule but it will be nice to see how we stack up with some of these teams right away, and help prepare us for conference play, which is always challenging."

Fortunately, the Queen Bees will play seven of their first nine games at home in Lee Lohman Arena, including the team's Midwest Collegiate Conference opener Dec. 3 against Ashford. However, SAU will close the regular season with three of its last four MCC games on the road, including a Feb. 18 game at traditional conference power Iowa Wesleyan to close the year.

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