March 17 -- The men's and women's basketball teams post season honors continue to come in as three seniors were recognized by the NAIA for their play on and off the court.

Joslyn Narber improved on her third-team honor from a year ago. The senior averaged 20.5 points and 7.5 rebounds for the Saints and put on a scoring show at the national tournament, scoring 57 points in just two games. The forward ranked fourth in the nation for three-point percentage shooting 43.9%. She was fifth nationally in free throws with .873 and sixth for points per game.

Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC) Player of the Year John Lierman of Aquinas was the lone WHAC athlete to be named NAIA All-American for DII Men's Basketball.  Lierman averaged 17.8 points and 5.1 rebounds per game as Aquinas went 21-12. The forward finished his senior campaign ranked in four national stat categories.

Kaitlyn Lang received Academic All-American Honors for her work in the classroom as well as on the court. The senior from Waterford, Michigan boasts an excellent GPA and has been major contributor to the women's basketball team.

Congratulations Joslyn, John and Kaitlyn!!!

March 17 -- Everyone in attendance at yesterday's women's lacrosse match became a permanent part of Aquinas' history. Coach Rogers led his Lady Saints to an impressive 15-3 victory over Hope College in the inaugural women's lacrosse match on Aquinas' campus. The victory pushes the Saints overall record to

4-1 on the young season.

The Saints were led by the play of Kati Rogers, who recorded five goals and three assists. Michelle Murphy also performed well in her first home game as she scored a goal and dished out five assists. Breanne Stockall was solid in net as she stopped eleven of 14 shots on goal.

The Saints will return to action on Thursday as they travel to play Olivet at 4 p.m.

March 16 -- If you like volleyball and want to see some great players come out this Saturday to Calvin College and experience the

Grand Rapids Volleyball Showcase.

Coach Rawles and five Saints will take part in the festivities. Katie Vander Meer, Mollie Lounds, Chelsea Phillips, Sarah LeClair and Jessica Curtis will represent the Saints in the 4 p.m. game on Saturday that features all-stars from the Grand Rapids area colleges. A 6 p.m. contest between the University of Michigan and the University of Dayton will follow.

March 12 -- The women's basketball team fell short in another upset bid at the NAIA National Championships. The Saints lost to Shawnee State 72-66 to conclude their season at 21-12. The women played well in Sioux City and should be proud of their effort and accomplishments this season.

The Saints were slow out of the gates and Shawnee State took full advantage as the Bears built the lead to as many as 14 before entering the halftime locker room up 43-31. The lead stayed steady for the first eight minutes of the second half until the Saints made a run midway through the half. A 14-3 surge capped by a bucket by Joslyn Narber brought the Saints to within one (60-59) at the 6:40 mark of half number two. The Saints however could not get any closer as Shawnee State held keeping the lead between three and six for the remainder of the contest.

Josyln Narber concluded her fabulous career with a stellar 34 point outing. Freshman Taelor Sanders scored ten points and grabbed eight rebounds, while Ann Marie Schumaker scored nine points, recorded five rebounds and dished out four assists.

March 10 -- The women's basketball team has advanced to the sweet sixteen of the 19th Annual State Farm-NAIA Division II Women's Basketball National Championship at the Tyson Events Center/Gateway Arena. The Saints (21-11) defeated St. Francis (IN) in overtime 67-65 to advance to Friday's match-up with Shawnee State.

Senior Joslyn Narber led the Saints with 23 points and eleven rebounds. Ann Marie Schmaker contributed ten points, while Taelor Sanders grabbed ten rebounds.

The game is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. (CST) on Friday and can be viewed online at watchnaia.com or you can listen at michigansportsradio.com. Cheer on the Saints from the comfort of your own living room.

The Aquinas College men's and women's track teams had a strong showing at this past weekends NAIA National Indoor Championships contested in Johnson City, Tennessee. Highlighting the trip for the Saints was the performance by Rumeal McKinney in the 60M dash. The "NAIA's Fastest Man" won the 60M dash and achieved a new school record in the 60M final. McKinney's time of 6.78 eclipsed the previous record held by Jason Carver. Allison Strouse also was honored as an All American in the 60M hurdles. Stourse placed fourth in the event final and tied Natalie Kent's school record (8.66) in the semifinal. Freshman Carly Plank also excelled at her first track championship as she bettered her own school record in the 3000M by 14 seconds (9:54.99). Plank finished fourth in the event to earn All American status. The foursome of Victor Ramirez, Nick Thelen, Kolin Stickney and Dustin Heiler garnered All-American Honors as they finished 6th in the 3200M Relay Finals. The Saints ran (7:46.03) -- the time marks the 2nd fastest time in school history. The women's DMR (Caitlyn Bonney, Allison Strouse, Chelsey Bonney and Carly Plank) ran the 5th fastest time in school history (12:18.00), but narrowly missed the podium by one place.

The track teams will enjoy a much deserved break and return to competition on April 3 when they host the Aquinas College Open at the newly renovated Houseman Field.

March 2 -- The men's basketball team was defeated by Cornerstone University last night in the WHAC Tournament Championship game 62-50. The Golden Eagles will receive the automatic berth to Nationals on account of their tournament win.

The energy that filled Mol Arena last night was what you have come to expect between the Saints and Golden Eagles. Emotions ran high with a trip to Branson on the line. Scoring was at a premium early on as both teams were locked in defensively. Cornerstone built the lead to as many as six in the first half, but Ty Motley's buzzer beater sent the two teams into the halftime locker room deadlocked at 24.

The game continued to stay tight during the second half as neither team could put any distance on the other. The Golden Eagles were up three, 46-43, at the 7:00 mark of the second half when Aquinas entered a pivotal stretch of the game. The Saints offense failed to convert a field goal over the nest three and half minutes and all of a sudden CU was up 56-45. Aquinas could not muster a comeback as Cornerstone converted their free throws down the stretch to secure the victory.

Aquinas was led by Ty Motley who scored 14 points and grabbed seven rebounds. Matt Weiss contributed eleven points and six rebounds for the Saints. Caleb Simons led Cornerstone with 15 points.

February 27 -- The men's basketball team defeated Davenport 55-53 to advance to Monday's WHAC Championship which will be contested at Cornerstone University. The Saints will play the host Golden Eagles with an automatic ticket to Branson on the line. Game time at the Mol Arena is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Davenport which falls to 23-9 will now have to wait to see if they are selected as an at-large for the national tournament.

The Saints and Panthers match-up lived up to its billing as both teams fought hard to advance to the final game. The gutsy Saints, minus WHAC Player of the Year, John Lierman, for most of the second half, kept their composure and played fundamentally sound basketball down the stretch to secure the victory. Lierman was helped off the floor early in the second half as he sustained a gash above his nose. Six key free throws in the closing minutes by Ty Motley and the strong play of junior Matt Weiss (15 points) were keys to the Saints victory. On the game Motley scored ten points and grabbed nine rebounds.

The Saints record now stands at 21-11 on the year. Monday's opponent, Cornerstone, is 26-6 on the season and is currently ranked #12 in the country.

February 27 -- The women's basketball team fell to Madonna 75-68 in one of the WHAC semifinals match-ups contested at the Ford Fieldhouse. The win advances Madonna to the championship game where they will face #1 seed Davenport. The loss drops the Saints overall record to 20-11 and Aquinas will now have to wait to see if they will receive an at-large berth into the NAIA Women's Tournament.

The Saints started off quickly opening an 11-4 lead to start the game. The Crusaders slowly chipped away and claimed their first lead at the 10:00 mark of the first half on a three-pointer from Tabatha Wydryck. The teams traded baskets for the remainder of the half with Madonna holding a 38-34 advantage at the intermission. The Crusaders shot 58% from the field in the first half compared to 41% for the Saints.

The second half started with Madonna rattling off the first nine points of the half. With the Crusaders leading by 13 at the 15:10 mark of half number two -- the Saints got tough. A 12-0 spurt of the own brought the lead down to one. After many attempts, Aquinas could never quite get over the hump as Madonna kept them at bay for the remainder of the game. Both teams shot the ball extremely well and matched each other on emotion and energy.

The Saints were led by Joslyn Narber who scored 22 points. Narber also grabbed seven rebounds and recorded five assists. Ann Marie Shumaker connected on four three-pointers en route to her 16 points. Madonna was led by freshman Shantelle Herring's 24 points.

February 26 -- The women's basketball team advanced to the semifinal round of the WHAC tournament by defeating Indiana Tech 91-57. The win improves the Saints record to 20-10 and sets up a Saturday match-up with Madonna. Indiana Tech closes their season with a record of 11-20.

The Saints were impressive in all facets of the game. The offense and defense kept the Warriors guessing all night. The Saints dished out 22 assists and shot the ball extremely well (57%). On the flip side Indiana Tech shot 31% for the game and committed 23 turnovers. Joslyn Narber led five Saints in double figure with 22 points. The WHAC Player of the Year also grabbed eight rebounds, dished out six assists and was responsible for six steals. Ann Marie Shumaker continued her fine play of late as she contributed 16 points, converting 3-5 from behind the three-point arc. Freshman Liza Flewelling also stuffed the stat sheet with 12 points, six rebounds, five assists and three blocks.

The Saints will host Madonna in one of the two WHAC tournament semifinal match-ups. The game will be contested on Saturday at the Ford Fieldhouse starting at 12:30 p.m.

Narber led the conference in scoring with a 19.82 season average (7th nationally) and was outstanding behind the three-point arc at 44.6% for third-best in the country. In all, Joslyn ranked in the top 50 for eight individual statistical categories.

Freshman Taelor Sanders was named to the All-Newcomer Team and also was 3rd Team All-WHAC. Kaitlyn Lang was named to the All-WHAC Academic Team, while Lindsey Karpowicz was named the Saints Champion of Character.

February 25 -- The men's basketball team advanced to the semifinal round of the WHAC tournament by defeating Indiana Tech at Grace Bible College 70-55. The win improves the Saints record to 20-11 and sets up a Saturday match-up with Davenport. The win also marks the sixth consecutive year that Coach Hammer's Saints have eclipsed the 20 win plateau. Indiana Tech concludes their season with an 11-19 record.

The Saints shot the ball extremely well in the first half (54%) and held the Warriors to 23 first half points on only 39% shooting from the field. Aquinas held the 38-23 advantage heading into the halftime locker room. The Saints continued to build the lead in the second half as Aquinas was getting contributions from everyone on the court.

Seven Saints had seven or more points on the night, led by Ty Motley's eleven points and eight rebounds. Jake Shockey notched another double-double as he recorded ten points and eleven rebounds. WHAC Player of the Year, John Lierman, chipped in with ten points for the Saints.

The Saints will travel to Davenport on Saturday to play the Panthers in one of the two WHAC semifinal games. The game is scheduled to begin at 3 p.m.

February 25 -- John Lierman of Aquinas College headlines the 2010 Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC) Men's Basketball All-Conference Team as he was chosen as the WHAC Player of the Year.

Lierman led the conference in scoring, averaging 19.03 points per game as Aquinas finished the regular season at 19-11 (9-5 WHAC). On the national scale, the senior ranked in the Top 50 in four statistical categories, including 17th in scoring. John is the second Saint to win the award in as many years, following Pedja Lazic in 2008-09.

Matt McDonald was also recognized by the WHAC as he was named to Academic All-Conference team and was Aquinas' representative on the Champions of Character team.

February 23 -- The men's basketball team will play in one of the quarterfinal match-ups of the WHAC tournament on Wednesday at Grace Bible College versus Indiana Tech. Game time is at 7:30 p.m. Directions to Grace Bible are as follows: 131 to 28th St. exit (Go West) -- First light is Clyde Park , take a right (north) -- take Clyde Park down four blocks to Alden St. -- turn left on Alden --- street will dead end at the college.

The women's basketball team will host a quarterfinal game at the Ford Fieldhouse on Thursday night. The Saints will play Indiana Tech at 8 p.m.

February 22 -- The women's basketball team concluded their regular season schedule with a win over Indiana Tech 55-45. The two teams will hook up again this Thursday night in the opening round of the WHAC Tournament. The Saints finished the regular season with a 19-10 record and were 9-5 in the WHAC. The win also secured the #2 seed in the WHAC Tournament for the Saints.

The Saints started both halves very strong and led the game for the entire 40 minutes. Aquinas built the lead to as many as 20 points midway through the second half. The combination of Narber and Schmaker proved to be the difference as the two scored 19 and 17 respectively. Taelor Sanders also chipped in with seven points, six rebounds and five assists.

The quarterfinal match-up between the Saints and Warriors will begin at 8 p.m. on Thursday at the Ford Fieldhouse.

February 21 -- The men's track and field team placed second out of six schools at the WHAC Indoor Championships. The meet was contested in Angola, Indiana at Trine University's new indoor facility. Aquinas finished 27.5 points behind team champion Siena Heights. The Saints will take a break this weekend before heading down to the NAIA Indoor National Championships which begin on March 4th.

Outstanding Performers

Rumeal McKinney - All WHAC 60M and 200M

Outstanding Performances

Rumeal McKinney - #2 All-Time 60M (6.82) &

Automatic Qualifier 200M (22.04)

Dustin Heiler - Automatic Qualifier Mile (4:20.01)

Peter Rybinski - #5 All-Time 1000M (2:35.54)

February 21 -- The women's track and field team placed second out of six teams at last nights WHAC Indoor Championships. The Saints finished 50 points behind team champion Cornerstone. The Saints will take a break this weekend before heading down to the NAIA Indoor National Championships which begin on March 4th.

Outstanding Performers

Allison Strouse - All WHAC 60M, 60M Hurdles and 200M

Carly Plank - All WHAC 800M and 3000M

Emily Popma - All WHAC 5000M

Lauren Mouthann - All WHAC Weight Throw

Outstanding Performances

Allison Strouse #2 All-Time 60M (7.72) & 60M Hurdles (8.78)

Carly Plank #2 All-Time Mile (5:04.14)

Samantha DeStefano #4 All-Time 60M (7.83)

Emily Popma #5 All-Time 5000M (18:27.83)

February 21 -- The men's basketball team concluded the regular season portion of their schedule with a 63-56 road win at Indiana Tech. The victory secures the third seed in the upcoming WHAC tournament for the Saints. Overall the Saints finished the regular season with a 19-11 record and were 9-5 in league play. The Saints will host a first round tournament game on Wednesday.

The Saints were in control most of the game until a late run brought the Warriors within one during the last minute of play. The Saints converted their free throws and stopped the comeback attempt as Aquinas scored seven of the games last eight points. John Lierman scored 17 points which moves him past Jeff Jayson on the Saints All-Time Scoring List. Lierman now has 1,921 points for his career. Ty Motly had another strong scoring effort as he recorded 17 points. Jake Shockey scored nine points and grabbed 13 rebounds.

#3 Aquinas will face #6 Indiana Tech on Wednesday in the Quarterfinals of the WHAC Tournament. The game will be contested at Grace Bible College at 7:30 p.m.

February 15 -- The women's basketball team was defeated by #2 Davenport yesterday 71-61. The Saints could not muster the victory, but played the Panthers with much more confidence and composure than in the two team's first meeting earlier in the season. The loss drops the Saints record to 18-9 overall and 8-4 in the conference. Davenport improves to 25-2 on the season and 11-1 in WHAC play.

The game was highlighted by Joslyn Narber eclipsing Kathy Grzegorski as the All-Time Leading Scorer in Aquinas Women's Basketball history. Narber needed ten points to tie and eleven to take over the lead heading into the contest versus Davenport. Midway through the second half Narber scored her 2,037 and 2,038 point on a scoop shot in the lane to achieve the record. Family, friends, former teammates and former coaches were all on hand to share in the celebration of Narber's accomplishment. Narber finished the game with 20 points to bring her career total to 2, 047. Joslyn still has two more regular season games and tournament games to add to her all-time leading point total.

Narber and the Saints will return to action on Wednesday as they travel to Ann Arbor to play Concordia (17-11, 7-5 WHAC) at 5:30 p.m.

February 14 -- The men's and women's track teams competed at the GVSU "Big Meet" this past weekend in Allendale. The meet drew over 1,700 athletes from around the country. The Saints looked sharp as Aquinas used this meet as their final tune-up before the WHAC Indoor Championships next week.

The Saints received "BIG" performances by Allison Strouse who lowered her personal best in the 60M Hurdles to 8.78. Strouse's time currently ranks her second in the country at that distance. The men's 800M was also a highlight event as two Saints broke Chris Leikert's school record. Nick Thelen (1:54.86) and Dustin Heiler (1:54.94) both crossed the line ahead of Leikert's (1:55.01) previous best.

National Qualifying performances were turned in by:

Allison Strouse -- 60M Hurdles -- 8.78 (A)

Allison Strouse -- 200M -- 25.38 (B)

Caitlyn Bonney -- 800M -- 2:19.14 (B)

Rumeal McKinney -- 200M -- 21.78 (B)

Nick Thelen -- 800M -- 1:54.86 (A)

Dustin Heiler -- 800M -- 1:54.94 (A)

Victor Ramirez -- 800M -- 1:55.55 (B)

February 14 -- The men's basketball team continues to surge toward the end of the season as the Saints have now won six of their last seven games. The latest victim was #14 ranked Davenport, who the Saints defeated on Saturday 69-53. The loss for the Panthers was the first regular season defeat they have suffered at home since the Davenport Student Center opened in 2008. The victory improves the Saints to an 18-10 mark overall and are now 8-4 in WHAC play. The loss pushes Davenport into second place in the WHAC with a 10-2 record, the Panthers are 21-7 overall.

The Saints jumped out quickly to a 7-0 advantage and extended the lead to double digits by the halfway mark of the first half. The Saints would build on the lead in the second half with Davenport never erasing the double digit deficit. Aquinas held the Panthers to 32% shooting from the field and Davenport could only muster 60% shooting from the charity stripe. John Lierman was a one man wrecking crew on Saturday, as the senior knocked in 29 points on 8-16 shooting from the floor and connecting on 11-13 free throws attempts. Ty Motley also hit double digit scoring for the Saints as he scored eleven points.

The Saints will travel to Ann Arbor on Wednesday to play Concordia (11-17, 4-8 WHAC) at 7:30 p.m.

February 12 -- The women's basketball team improved their overall record to 18-8 and are know 8-3 in the WHAC after a 64-41 victory over UM Dearborn last night. The Saints are currently in second place in the WHAC trailing league leader Davenport by two games. The loss for UM Dearborn drops their league mark to 0-11 and their overall record at 1-24.

The Saints received quality contributions from the entire team on this night. Joslyn Narber led the attack with 18 points, seven rebounds and six assists. Narber now finds herself only eleven points shy of the Saints All-Time Scoring record. Ann Marie Schmaker contributed 16 points, while Taelor Sanders filled the stat sheet with eight points, eight rebounds, five steals and three assists.

The Saints will host #2 Davenport (24-2, 10-1 WHAC) at the Ford Fieldhouse on Sunday at 1 p.m.

February 11 -- The men's basketball team, who have know won five out of their last six games, continues to gain momentum heading into the postseason. The Saints notched a victory over UM Dearborn 60-44 last night to help celebrate "Senior Night". Seniors Ty Motley, John Lierman and Matt McDonald and their families were honored before the game for their time, service and commitment to Aquinas College. The win improves the Saints record to 17-10 overall and 7-4 in the WHAC. The loss drops UM Dearborn's record to 5-21 overall and the Wolves are currently 2-9 in league play.

The Saints were a little slow out of the gates as UM Dearborn took a quick 9-0 advantage over the games first six minutes. Aquinas settled down and methodically chipped away at the lead and finally over took the Wolves at the 5:38 mark of the first half on a three point make by John Oostema. The Saints defense clamped down as well as the Saints held UM Dearborn to two field goal makes over the last 16 minutes of the half. Aquinas went into the halftime locker room sporting a 26-22 advantage.

The Saints continued to apply pressure and built the lead to as many as 18 in the second half before finishing the season sweep of UM Dearborn 60-44. Aquinas received a nice game from Jake Shockey who scored eight points and grabbed twelve rebounds. Freshman Zach Eddy led all scorers with 14 points, while senior John Lierman contributed twelve points, five rebounds and four assists.

The Saints will travel to #14 Davenport (21-6, 10-1 WHAC) on Saturday to play the Panthers starting at 3 p.m.

February 9 -- John Lierman of Aquinas College earned the WHAC Player of the Week award for men's basketball after helping the Saints to a 2-0 week. 

Lierman, a 6-4 senior from Holt, Mich., averaged 23.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists while shooting 50% from the field. In a 75-63 win at Madonna, the guard scored 22 points, had three rebounds and handed out four assists. In a 63-58 win against #21 Siena Heights, he scored 25 points, grabbed eight rebounds and had two assists. 

During the last four games, Lierman has averaged 23.5 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists. Overall the Saints are 16-10 and 6-4 in conference play.

February 8 -- The men's basketball team notched a big victory on Sunday as the Saints defeated Siena Heights 63-57. The victory pulls Aquinas even with Siena Heights in the WHAC standings with matching 6-4 records. Overall the Saints are 16-10 and have won four out of their last five games.

The combination of John Lierman and Matt Weiss proved to be the difference as the two combined for 38 points and 12 rebounds. Aquinas also received six clutch free throws in the games final minute from seniors Ty Motley and Matt McDonald.

The Saints will look to continue their winning ways on Wednesday as Aquinas hosts UM Dearborn on "Senior Night" at the Ford Fieldhouse at 8 p.m. Seniors Matt McDonald, Ty Motley and John Lierman will be honored for their time and service to the Aquinas College basketball program.

February 8 -- The men's and women's track teams continue to ready themselves for the upcoming championship portion of their indoor schedule with a strong showing over the weekend at the Taylor Invitational in Upland, Indiana.

The Saints recorded eight first place performances and achieved some more national qualifying times in the process. The Saints will continue with their indoor season this Saturday as the travel to Allendale to compete in the G.V.S.U. "Big Meet".

First place performances from the Taylor Invitational included:

Allison Strouse -- 55M Hurdles (8.42) & 200M (26.22)

Carly Plank -- Mile (5:12.34)

Caitlyn Bonney -- 600M (1:41.93)

Emily Popma -- 3000M (10:46.39)

Women's 4x200 Relay (1:46.44)

Dustin Heiler -- Mile (4:23.76)

Men's 4x200M Relay (1:32.10)

February 6 -- The women's basketball team was defeated by Siena Heights 80-67. The loss drops the Saints back into a second place tie with Cornerstone, both teams are currently 7-3 in league play. Overall the Saints record falls to 17-8. The victory evens Siena Heights league mark at 5-5 and overall they improve to 16-10 on the season.

Aquinas senior Joslyn Narber passed a milestone midway through the second half as she become only the second player in Aquinas women's basketball history to surpass the 2,000 point plateau. With her 26 point effort against Siena Heights, Narber has accumulated 2,009 career points. Joslyn now finds herself within 28 points of being the most prolific scorer in Aquinas history. A special presentation to honor Narber's accomplishment will be made on Thursday night when the Saints host UM Dearborn at 7:30 p.m. at the Ford Fieldhouse.

February 4 -- The men's basketball team used a strong second half to defeat Madonna 75-63. The win keeps the Saints in the upper tier of the WHAC with a 5-4 record; overall the Saints record sits at 15-10. The loss drops the Crusaders to 4-20 overall and are know 1-8 in league play.

The Saints and Crusaders were locked into a typical WHAC contest where neither team could put too much distance on the other. The two teams traded baskets for most of the first half as the game saw eight lead changes and three ties. The Saints advantage of six at the 3:21mark was the largest lead in the first half. Madonna went into the halftime locker room leading the Saints 32-29.

The second half started with a quick bucket by Madonna's Leroy Allen to put the Crusaders up by five. Then the tied turned as the next four minutes were all John Lierman and the Saints. The senior drained three 3-pointers to ignite a 16-0 run to put Aquinas up for good. The lead swelled to as many as many as 17 at the 6:24 mark of the second half. Aquinas preserved the victory 75-63 and completed the season sweep of Madonna.

John Lierman's 22 points led the Saints, while Matt Weiss contributed 13 points. Both Zach Eddy and Ty Motley hit double figures with ten points a piece. The Saints will host Siena Heights (19-6, 6-3 WHAC) on Sunday at the Ford Fieldhouse starting at 3:30 p.m.

February 4 -- The women's basketball team came up with a road win at Madonna last night 49-45. The two teams combined for 26% shooting from the field, but a win is a win and Coach Nash and her players will take it. The victory improves the Saints record to 17-7 overall and 7-2 in the WHAC. The Crusaders drop to 8-13 on the season and are know 4-5 in league play. The Saints win coupled with Cornerstone's loss to Indiana Tech positions Aquinas alone in second place in the WHAC.

The first half of play consisted of one tie and ten lead changes. Neither team could mount an advantage of more than four points. The Saints found themselves leading 27-24 at the halftime break. The second half saw more of the same as both team shot the ball poorly (combined 23% in the second half from the field) and neither could muster any momentum.

The Crusaders pushed the lead to six at the 9:18 mark of the second half and on a night like this the lead seemed bigger than it actual was. Aquinas did not panic and stayed calm; they ran their offense and continued to play pressure defense. The result was a 16-6 run to close the game to secure the victory and the season sweep against Madonna.

The Saints were led by senior Kaitlyn Lang who recorded a double-double with eleven points and eleven rebounds. Aquinas will finish their four game road trip on Saturday as they travel to Adrian to battle Siena Heights (15-10, 4-5 WHAC) at 1 p.m.

February 2 -- Aquinas College senior John Lierman averaged 23.5 points, seven rebounds, three and half assists and three steals during the week to be named the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC) Men's Basketball Player of the Week.  

The 6-4 guard from Holt, Mich. scored 26 points and recorded six rebounds, five assists and three steals in a 66-55 win against Indiana Tech. In a 80-63 road loss to then-ranked #12 Cornerstone University, he scored 21 points, grabbed eight rebounds, had two assists, blocked one shot and stole three balls.  

Aquinas is know an even 4-4 in conference play and 14-10 overall. Next up is a road game at Madonna University on Feb. 3. 

Prior to this week, Lierman was averaging 18.3 points and 5.4 rebounds. He currently ranks in the top 50 of NAIA Division II in seven statistical categories.

February 1 -- Last week in Baltimore, Maryland, the Aquinas College Women's Lacrosse showed its credibility on the national scene by having Head Women's Lacrosse Coach, Frank Rogers make two presentations at the US Lacrosse National Coaches Convention.

This convention is the largest of its kind and draws coaches from all over the country at all levels. Sessions are conducted through out the two day event and US Lacrosse strives to find the most knowledgeable coaches to present sessions on all sorts of subjects. While most coaches are only asked to make one presentation, our Coach Rogers was asked to make two presentations, a big honor and a indication of the level of coaching we have at Aquinas College.

On Friday afternoon Coach Rogers spoke to over 500 coaches on the art of playing defense in the midfield, on Saturday morning he spoke to over 350 newer coaches on the "how to" of designing and executing a practice plan.

February 1 -- The third time proved not to be the charm as the men's basketball team fell to Cornerstone for the third time this season. The loss evens the Saints conference mark at 4-4 and drops their overall record to 14-10. Cornerstone improves to 7-1 in the WHAC and 19-5 overall.

Just as in the women's game the Saints were on the short end of the scoreboard for the entire 40 minutes. Cornerstone had built the lead to eleven during the first half before a late run by the Saints lowered the deficit to five at the halftime break. The second half saw the Saints trim the lead to three at the 13:14 mark before the Cornerstone guards took over. The trio of Bates, Donaldson and Allen carried the Golden Eagles and propelled the lead to as many as 19 late in the second half.

The Saints were led by John Lierman who scored 21 points and recorded eight rebounds. Jamell Hatchett chipped in 14 points and seven rebounds. The Saints will return to action on Wednesday as they travel to Madonna (4-19, 1-7 WHAC) to play the Crusaders..

Aad for all 40 minutes. After trailing by 15 points at the halftime break; Aquinas did make a run and trimmed the lead to four at the ten minute mark of the second half. The Saints would come no closer as Cornerstone withstood the surge and built the lead back up to as many as 18 points.

In the game Joslyn Narber surpassed Jackie Braspenninx and moved into second place on the All-Time Scoring List with 1,976 points. Narber remains 24 points away from 2,000 and 61 points behind Kathy Grezegorski, who is the all-time leading scorer in Aquinas women's basketball history.

The Saints will return to action on Wednesday as they travel to Livonia to play Madonna (8-12, 4-4 WHAC).

January 30 -- The men's and women's indoor track teams split the squad this weekend and competed at two track meets. Most of the team competed at the GVSU Open, while the men's and women's middle distance relays traveled to Findlay, Ohio to compete at the Findlay Classic.

Aquinas' sprinters looked dominate at the GVSU meet as Sam DeStefano (8.02-60M), Allison Strouse (25.61-200M) and Rumeal McKinney (21.98-200M) all recorded first place finishes. Senior thrower Devin Tarrent also enjoyed a personal best in the weight throw with a distance of 51-1.5. The throw qualified Tarrent provisionally for the indoor national championships.

The women's distance medley relay consisting of Sam Rinkus, Paige Senters, Caitlyn Bonney and Carly Plank placed third at the Findlay Classic with a time of 12:32.71. The time automatically qualifies the group for the indoor national championships. The women's 4x800M relay also qualified automatically with a time of 9:46.82. The men's 4x800M relay consisting of Nick Thelen, Victor Ramirez, Kolin Stickney and Dustin Heiler placed second and hit the "B" standard with a time of 7:58.09.

The Saints will return to action on Saturday as they travel to Upland, Indiana to compete in the Taylor University Invitational.

January 28 -- The women's basketball team continues to rack up victories as the Saints picked up a road win in Fort Wayne over Indiana Tech 69-59. The win improves the Saints to 6-1 in the league and 16-6 overall. The loss drops Indiana Tech's record to 8-15 overall and 1-6 in the WHAC.

Neither team could open up any distance on the other as the Saints and Warriors were locked up in a very close game for the first 12 minutes. With the Saints up 22-19 at the 8:18 mark the Warriors started to hit the long ball. Indiana Tech surged ahead on a 13-0 run over the next three minutes on the strength of their three point shooting to take a ten point lead. The teams went into the halftime break with Indiana Tech holding the 40-31 advantage over Aquinas.

After a struggle in the first half the Saints found their stride at the beginning of half number two as they exploded out of the gate scoring 17 of the first 19 points. The Saints continue to build momentum as they shot 55% from the field in the second half compared to 21% for the Warriors. The Saints would maintain the lead for the rest of the night and leave Fort Wayne with a 69-59 victory.

Joslyn Narber led the Saints with 31 points and 13 rebounds. Ann Marie Schumaker was the only other Saint to hit double digits with 12 points. The women will be back in action on Saturday as they travel to Cornerstone (12-10, 5-2 WHAC) to play the Golden Eagles who are fresh off the upset victory over #1 ranked Davenport last night. Tip-off at Mol Arena is scheduled for 1 p.m..

January 27 -- The men's basketball team was victorious in a pivotal WHAC match-up with Indiana Tech to keep the Saints in the upper echelon of the WHAC standings. The 66-55 win moves the Saints to 4-3 in the WHAC and 14-9 overall. The setback drops Indiana Tech to 2-5 in league play and 7-14 overall.

After trailing by seven early the Saints made the necessary adjustments and took their first lead at the 8:25 mark of the first half on a lay up by John Oostema. The two teams traded buckets for the remainder of the half with the Saints nursing a two point lead at the halftime break.

Leading 36-33 with just over 13 minutes to play the Saints recorded a five point trip down the court that included a made two point basket by Dan Spyhalski and three point conversion by John Lierman. The quick five points lifted the Saints to an eight point advantage. The lead swelled to as many as 16 before a late rally brought the Warriors within six during the games closing minutes. Aquinas hit their free throws down the stretch and held on for the 66-55 victory.

Senior John Lierman led the Saints with 26 points including five makes from behind the three point arc. Lierman also recorded six rebounds, five assists and had three steals.

John and the rest of the Saints will be back in action when they travel down the road to battle the #12 ranked Golden Eagles from Cornerstone (18-5, 6-1 WHAC) on Saturday. Game time is scheduled for 3 p.m.

January 25 -- The men's basketball team evened their mark in the WHAC to 3-3 on Saturday as the host Saints defeated Concordia 68-49. The victory improves the Saints to 13-9 overall and Aquinas finds themselves currently in fourth place in the WHAC standings. The loss drops the Cardinals to 7-14 overall and 1-6 in league play.

After trailing the majority of the first half the Saints used a quick 9-0 burst over the last five minutes of the half to establish a 27-21 halftime advantage. The Saints maintained the lead until the 11:36 mark when the Cardinals took a one point advantage 45-44. The lead was short lived as the Saints buckled down defensively and went on to outscore Concordia 24-4 down the stretch to preserve the 19 point victory.

John Lierman stuffed the stat sheet with 14 points, seven rebounds, five assists and five steals. Dan Spyhalski contributed eleven points, while Jamell Hatchett chipped in with ten points. Aquinas will return to action on Tuesday as the Saints host Indiana Tech (7-13, 2-4 WHAC) at Cornerstone starting at 8 p.m.

January 25 -- The women's basketball team rebounded from an early week loss to Davenport to defeat the Cardinals from Concordia 79-58 on Saturday. The victory improves the Saints record to 15-6 overall and 5-1 in the WHAC. With the loss Concordia drops to 2-5 in the league and 11-10 overall.

After trading baskets for the first ten and a half minutes of the game the Saints found themselves in a one point hole 17-16 with 9:21 to play in the first half. The remainder of the half was then dominated by the Saints who outscored the Cardinals 22-10 over that stretch to take an eleven point lead heading into the halftime break.

The momentum carried over into the second half as the Saints came out of the gates quickly and built the lead to as many as 26 late in the game. During the second half the Saints shot a sizzling 73% (16-22) from the field and 88%

(7-8) from the free throw line. The Saints were led by Joslyn Narber's 22 points. Narber who went over the 1,900 point mark for her career is now only 86 points away from 2,000.

Taelor Sanders (14), Ann Marie Schmaker (11) and April Feldpausch (10) also contributed double digit scoring performances for the Saints.

Aquinas will return to action on Wednesday as they travel to Fort Wayne to play Indiana Tech (8-14, 1-5 WHAC) at 7 p.m.

January 25 -- The men's & women's track teams continue to gain momentum as they prepare for the upcoming WHAC Championships at the end of February. This past weekend the Saints participated in the Bob Eubanks Open hosted by Grand Valley State, an event which drew over 800 participants.

The meet was highlighted by freshman Carly Plank's performance in her first ever college track meet. Plank's time of 10:08.07 breaks Amanda Strouse's school record, automatically qualifies Plank for the Indoor National Championships and also currently ranks her second in the country in that event.

Other outstanding performances included:

Allison Strouse - "A" National Qualifier 60M (7.82)

Allison Strouse - "A" National Qualifier 60M Hurdles (9.05) & #2 on Aquinas' All-Time List

Rumeal McKinney - "B" National Qualifier 200M (21.89)

Matt Hewson - "B" National Qualifier 60M (7.00)

Emily Popma - "B" National Qualifier 5000M (18:31.39)

Sam DeStefano - #5 All-Time 200M (26.23)

Nick Thelen - #3 All-Time 600M (1:23.18)

January 22 -- The men's basketball team suffered their third conference loss in five tries as the Saints were defeated by Davenport 69-45. The loss drops the Saints overall record to 12-9 on the year, while Davenport improves to 17-5 overall and are a perfect 6-0 in league play.

After falling behind ten early the Saints mounted a comeback and closed the gap to two with just over six minutes to play in the first half. The Panthers rallied and ended the half on a 14-2 run to take a 35-21 lead into the half. Davenport extended the lead to 25 as they began half number two on a 20-9 spurt. Poor shooting hurt the Saints all night as they could only muster 29% shooting from the field compared to 51% for Davenport. Jamell Hatchett led the Saints with 13 points and seven rebounds. Freshman Zach Eddy chipped in with eleven points.

The Saints will now host Concordia (7-13, 1-5 WHAC) on Saturday starting at 3 p.m. at the Ford Fieldhouse.

January 20 -- The women's basketball team found out why the Davenport women are ranked #1 in the country. The Panthers defeated the Saints 94-40 in a battle of the top two teams in the WHAC. The loss drops the Saints overall record to 14-6 and their league mark to 4-1. Davenport improves to 20-1 on the season and are currently 6-0 in the WHAC.

Taelor Sanders led the Saints with 12 points and eight rebounds. Both Ann Marie Schmaker and Vicky VanDyke scored ten points for Aquinas. The Saints will look to regroup on Saturday as they host Concordia (11-9, 2-4 WHAC) at the Ford Fieldhouse starting at 1 p.m.

January 18 -- The men's basketball team defeated UM-Dearborn 75-64 to run their record to 12-8 on the year (2-2 in league play). UM Dearborn drops to 0-4 in the league and 3-15 overall.

John Lierman led four Saints in double figures with 23 points. During the game Lierman moved up to #5 on the "All-Time Scoring List", passing Pedja Lazic and Rick Vryhof. Jake Shockey contributed a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds. AJ Schmidt and Jamell Hatchett added 12 and ten respectively for the Saints.

Aquinas returns to action on Thursday with #25 Davenport (16-5, 5-0 WHAC) coming into the Ford Fieldhouse to battle the Saints. Game time is scheduled for 8 p.m.

January 18 -- The women's basketball team extended their winning streak to five games with an 85-63 victory over UM-Dearborn. The win keeps the Saints perfect in the WHAC and improves their overall record to 14-5. The Wolves drop to 0-4 in the WHAC and 1-17 overall.

The Saints were led by Joslyn Narber's who scored 27 points on near perfect shooting. Narber connected on 8-10 field goals and was 8-8 from the charity stripe. Taelor Sanders filled the stat sheet as she recorded 17 points, eight rebounds and four assists. Vicky VanDyke chipped in with 12 points and nine rebounds.

The win also sets up the Game of the Week in the WHAC as #17 Aquinas (14-5, 4-0 WHAC) travels to #1 ranked Davenport (19-1, 5-0 WHAC) on Wednesday to battle the Panthers with first place on the line. Tip off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

January 18 -- The men's and women's track teams were in action this past weekend as they competed at Saginaw Valley State in the Doug Hansen Open. The Saints captured seven first place finishes and will now switch their attention to this Friday when they compete at the Bob Eubanks Open hosted by Grand Valley State.

First Place performances were turned in by:

Allison Strouse (60m Hurdles, 200m)

Sam DeStefano (60m)

Caitlyn Bonney (800m)

Nick Thelen (800m)

Dustin Johnson (Long Jump)

Ryan Helminiak (High Jump)

January 14 -- The men's basketball team dropped a road contest at Siena Height's last night 67-57. The Saints now find themselves with a 1-2 record in league play and are now 11-8 overall. Siena Heights stays a top of the WHAC standings with a 3-0 record and are 16-3 overall.

The Aquinas Saints were out of the gates quickly as they built an early 15-6 lead with just under twelve minutes to play in the first half. Siena Heights responded with a 17-6 run of their own over the next eight minutes to take over the lead 23-21. The teams traded baskets for the remainder of the half and Aquinas hit the halftime locker rooms trailing 28-27.

In a game that featured twelve lead changes and seven ties, the second half started out with both teams hitting big shots to keep the game tight. With the game tied at 51 with seven and half minutes to play, the Saints from Siena took control out scoring Aquinas 16-6 down the stretch to preserve the 67-57 victory. Aquinas was led by John Lierman's 19 points and nine rebounds. Matt McDonald chipped in with 14 points for the Saints.

Aquinas will look to get back into the win column on Saturday as the Saints travel to UM-Dearborn (3-14, 0-3 WHAC) to do battle with the Wolves.

January 14 -- The women's basketball team stayed perfect in league play as the Saints defeated Siena Heights 84-58 in an early season showdown between two undefeated teams. With the victory the Saints find themselves sporting a 13-5 overall record and a 3-0 record in WHAC play. The loss sends Siena Heights to a record of 13-6 and 2-1 in league games.

On the strength of three early three pointers, Siena Heights jumped out to an early 11-4 lead. The Saints from Siena maintained the lead and held a 24-21 advantage with six minutes to play in the half. Aquinas proceeded to end the half on a 14-0 run to give them an eleven point lead heading into the locker rooms.

The second half start was a continuation of how the first half finished as Aqunias scored 24 of the first 28 points of the half to build the lead to 31. The advantage grew to as many as 34 late in the contest before the Saints claimed the victory 84-58. Joslyn Narber led a balanced attack that saw five Saints score in double figures.

Aquinas will travel to play UM-Dearborn (1-16, 0-3 WHAC) on Saturday starting at 1p.m.

The senior forward from Wyoming, Mich. averaged 22 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists during the two victories. She scored the game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer for a thrilling 62-60 win against Cornerstone University. She finished the game with 21 points, nine rebounds, five assists and two steals.

She added 23 points, six rebounds and two assists during a 76-70 come from behind victory against Madonna University. For the week, Narber shot a blistering 58% from the field including 77.8% from the three-point range.

Narber is leading the conference in scoring, averaging 19.8 points per game while shooting 43.5%. Aquinas sits at 12-5 overall and 2-0 in WHAC play and plays Siena Heights University on January 13.

January 9 -- The men's basketball team got a big lift from senior Matt McDonald who led all scores in Aquinas' 74-67 victory over Madonna. The victory pushes the Saints record to 11-7 overall and now sport a 1-1 record in WHAC play. The Crusaders drop to 3-14 on the year and are now 0-2 in the league this year.

After leading much of the first half the Saints let the lead slip away late as Madonna headed to the locker room with

a 37-33 advantage. The Saints who have struggled coming out of the halftime break lately found an early rhythm in half number two and raced out to a 19-6 spurt to open up a nine point lead. The rest of the way the Saint kept the Crusaders at bay keeping the lead bouncing from six to twelve points. Matt McDonald led four Saints in double figures with 19 points. John Lierman added 16 points, six rebounds and six assists while Jamell Hatchett and Matt Weiss added 15 and ten respectively.

The Saints will take the show on the road as they travel to Adrian on Wednesday night to play Siena Heights (15-3, 2-0 WHAC) at 7:30 p.m.

January 9 -- The women's basketball erased a 16 point second half deficit to rally to defeat Madonna 76-70. The victory lifts the Saints to a 12-5 record overall and a 2-0 record in league play. Madonna falls to 4-10 on the year and are 0-2 in the WHAC.

Aquinas found themselves on the wrong side of a 56-40 score with just over 12 minutes to play in the game. A couple of big three's by Joslyn Narber ignited the comeback. The Saints out scored the Crusaders 36-14 over the remainder of the game to secure the six point victory. Senior Joslyn Narber once again led the way with 23 points. April Feldpausch and Taelor Sanders both added a dozen a piece for the Saints. Tabatha Wydryck led Madonna with 17 points.

Aquinas will look to extend its three-game win streak with a date on Wednesday with Siena Heights (13-5, 2-0 WHAC) at the Ford Fieldhouse starting at 6 p.m.

January 7 -- The men's basketball team suffered a pair of losses on Wednesday night. First Damacious White left the game early with a knee injury. This was followed by the Saints losing their league opener to Cornerstone 82-65. The loss drops the Saints overall record to 10-7, while Cornerstone climbs to 13-4 on the season.

The Saints received a big lift from freshman Zach Eddy who scored 12 first half points. Thanks in part to Eddy the Saints found themselves with a one point advantage at the half 33-32. The lead was short lived as the Golden Eagles began the second half on an 18-4 run and never looked backed. Cornerstone extended the lead to 23 late in the contest before finally defeating the Saints 82-65.

Zach Eddy and John Lierman both scored 14 points to lead the Saints. Jamell Hatchett contributed eleven points and eight rebounds. Brian Pasciak led five Golden Eagles in double figures with 16 points.

Aquinas will look to get back on track with a contest on Saturday at the Ford Fieldhouse versus Madonna (3-13, 0-1 WHAC) starting at 3 p.m.

January 7 -- The women's basketball team started the WHAC portion of their schedule with an exciting 62-60 victory over Cornerstone. Joslyn Narber found the bank open as she knocked down the game winning three pointer as time expired. The victory lifts the Saints to an 11-5 overall record and a 1-0 record in the WHAC. Cornerstone drops to 7-9 overall and 0-1 in league play.

Cornerstone held the advantage for much of the first half and took a seven point lead into the locker room. Aquinas tied the score at 33-33 on a field goal by Vicky VanDyke with 17 minutes to play in the second half. The game then see-sawed back and forth with neither team extending a lead past six. With Aquinas leading by three in the last minute of play, Cornerstone received buckets by Brooke Carter and Robyn Veltkamp to take a one point advantage with eight seconds to play. Aquinas stayed calm and Vicky VanDyke found Joslyn Narber for the sideline three that banked home the victory for Aquinas.

Joslyn Narber led the way for the Saints with 21 points and nine rebounds. Ann Marie Shumaker chipped in with 12 points while freshman Taelor Sanders tallied ten. Melissa Veltkamp led the Golden Eagles in scoring with 20 points while her twin sister, Robyn, scored 18 points and dished out eleven assists.

The Saints will return to action on Saturday as they host Madonna (4-9, 0-1 WHAC) at the Ford Fieldhouse starting at 1 p.m.