From Friday, Nov. 14 to Saturday, Nov. 15, Saint Mary’s basketball will host its first annual The Inn at Saint Mary’s Classic, welcoming Concordia and Hiram to South Bend, Indiana.
The Belles are 0-1 on the season after a 76-60 loss to North Central. Although there was a 16-point deficit, many Saint Mary’s players made an impact on the stat sheet, especially junior guard Kate Restovich and sophomore guard Kate Passinault, who scored 12 and 11 points, respectively.
Restovich has had an impact on the Belles roster since her freshman year, when she averaged 27.5 minutes per game. She was extremely efficient in field goals, shooting a 0.360, and even better on the free-throw line with a 0.765. The numbers only climbed her sophomore season, allowing her to average over 31 minutes of play per game. This season, Restovich has played for 26 minutes and owns a field goal efficiency of 0.286.
Passinault’s stats from last game were similar to Restovich’s, scoring only a point less. Last season, Passinault averaged 22.6 minutes with a field goal efficiency of 0.329 and a free-throw efficiency of 0.600, numbers that stood out in the MIAA despite her team’s 6-19 finish. Defensively, Passinault leads the team with seven defensive rebounds and is tied in blocks with freshman guard Liv Fry.
Concordia University Chicago is 0-2 on the season with a 85-26 loss to Franklin College and a 73-50 loss to North Central, both smaller margins than the Belles’ loss to North Central. The Cougars are led by freshman guard Ai Yonemura, who already averages 27 minutes a game, scoring 27 points with a free-throw efficiency of 0.800.
Sophomore forward Grace King is averaging more minutes, with 23 points to her name on a field goal efficiency of 0.529. Both players may prove to be a threat. Even if Saint Mary’s is able to put themselves in a scoring position, Yonemura and King lead Concordia’s defense with eight and five defensive rebounds, respectively.
Hiram College is 0-1 with a 84-53 loss to Adrian, the second-largest deficit any of the three participants in the tournament have faced this season. The Terriers boast senior guard Sarah Seaman and sophomore guard Isabella Caceres, who are putting up 16 and 14 points per game, respectively.
Seaman played her first two years at Fredonia, averaging almost seven points per game. Since coming to Hiram, she has seen more court action, racking up 133 points in her first year, a number she’s on track to break this season already.
Last season, Caceres made her presence known, totaling 219 points and 826 minutes on the year, all while keeping her field goal efficiency at a 0.347 and her free throw efficiency at 0.617, making her one of the most effective shooters on the team.
Saint Mary’s will face Concordia at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 15 will start at 1 p.m. with a game between Albion and Concordia before the tournament concludes with Hiram and Saint Mary’s at 3 p.m.
