Women's Basketball 2011-2012
Cardinals fall to Lake Michigan College
The Lady Cardinals went into their 5th game of the season on Thursday November 10 against Lake Michigan College. Their last game was against a tough team and Lake Michigan seemed to fall in that category. Despite their previous loss the Cardinals were determined to put their all into the game.
The Cardinals started the first half slow and nothing seemed to be working for them which led to easy buckets for the opposing team causing Lake Michigan to slowly pull away. After a slow start in the 1st half Coach Wooldridge encouraged his team to give the 2nd half all they have. The Cardinals came out in a 2-3 defense, but Lake Michigan proved to be too much for the Cardinals. Though the Cardinals put forth much effort they became fatigued. Seeing that the Cardinals were fatigued Lake Michigan used it to their advantage and scored multiple points off of fast breaks. The final score was 89-19.
Lady Cardinals fall short to Marygrove
The Lady Cardinals traveled to MaryGrove College on Tuesday November 8 to compete in their 4th game of the season. The Cardinals anticipated that it would be a tough game, but they weren’t going to let that intimidate them. Despite their determination to play hard and minimize turnovers, they started the game a bit slow and MaryGrove began to pull away. During halftime Coach Wooldridge tried to inspire a spark in his players to pick up their pace. The Cardinals came into the 2nd half trying hard to stay in the game, but they fell short. MaryGrove won the game 81-48.
Cardinals Win Big in Chicago
Excitement ran high among the players on the bus on their way to the third annual Andrews vs. Oakwood basketball game. The event is the most popular and well-attended Cardinals game. The past two years’ games ended in disappointment for both the women and men’s Cardinals, and the teams came hungry for a win.
After a high energy vespers service led by AUAY, the teams traveled to the University of Chicago’s facilities for the game. The players headed to their locker rooms to prepare as hundreds of fans filed into the gym to cheer on their schools.
The Lady Cardinals vs. Lady Ambassadors game tipped off at 7 p.m. after Head Coach Kevin Wooldridge cautioned his team to do the things they had practiced and play hard through the entire game. The teams exchanged baskets early, but the Lady Cardinals soon seized control of the game. Their 2-3 zone defense limited Oakwood to one shot and often resulted in Ambassador turnovers. The Lady Cardinals then countered with a balanced attack, and with seconds left in the first half, looked to go into the locker room up 28-14. With the clock winding 
down, freshman guard Janessa Sorrells attacked the basket on a drive that sent her team into the break up 30-14.
At halftime Coach Wooldridge curbed the ecstatic enthusiasm by warning his team that the game was only half over and they could very easily lose it if they allowed themselves to lose their heads. The team refocused and prepared for the second half.
The Lady Cardinals came out after halftime ready to play hard and put the game away. Although they struggled with several of their starters in foul trouble, the team continued to play tight defense and make key shots, and went on to win the game 45-33 and received their trophy amidst cheering from the Andrews fans. About the game, Coach Wooldridge commented,
“The game was won on the defensive end, but I think the ladies did a great job overall.”
As the ladies cleared off the bench, the crowd from both sides made a tunnel to cheer their men’s team onto the court.
After a month and a half of preparation, the Andrews Cardinals basketball teams were prepared the take the floor in the first game of the season. The preseason included scrimmages, conditioning, learning plays, and getting to know teammates on the court, and as November 1 approached, players and coaches alike were confident they would do well.
Cardinals Fall to Calumet College of St. Joseph
The Lady Cardinals traveled to Calumet College on Thursday November 3 hoping to grab their 2nd win of the season. They knew they were facing a tough team, but that didn’t stop the Cardinals from starting the game off strong. The Cardinals were playing a stifling 2-3 defense, but that was not enough. They finished the 1st half down by 10 and they knew they had to step up.
The Cardinals started the 2nd half a little slow as the opposing team began to use their full court pressure defense causing problems for the Cardinals guards and creating turnovers leading to easy buckets. The Cardinals kept fighting but they began to show signs of frustration as nothing seemed to be working for them. That was just enough pressure for Calumet to pull away, taking the win over the Cardinals 75-36.
Cardinals Win home Opener
The girls’ game tipped off at 5:30 against Great Lakes Christian College, but before the game Coach Wooldridge reminded the ladies about their strategies and ways to adapt against various defensive adjustments. The girls were nervous, but took the court looking for a win.
As the game began, the Cardinals quickly took possession of the ball and scored the first two points of the game. Although the ladies turned the ball over a few times, they soon found a rhythm that the other team could not counter and locked down on defense. In fact, the Cardinals went into the locker room at halftime having allowed Great Lakes Christian College just seven points in the half.
During half time Coach Wooldridge commented on some of the things his team could do better both offensively and defensively, and decided to start the game with a few different players in his starting lineup.
The Cardinals seemed to struggle with the lineup changes, and Great Lakes Christian College found ways to score in the second half, but the Cardinals took care of business and won the game 53-31. After the game Coach Wooldrige commented, “It’s what you expect from a home opener, but the ladies did well. It was a good game for us.”
Cardinals Host Alumni Game
The Cardinals basketball teams played their first official games of the season Saturday night, October 1. Both teams were excited for the opportunity to show what they could do, and by the time the women tipped off at 9 p.m. the gym was filling fast.
Although the majority of the Lady Cardinals’ team is new this year, they showed glimpses of a potentially promising season to come. The team passed the ball well around the alumni team and scored key points to keep the score close throughout the game. The teams traded baskets through the first half, but thanks to the hustle of both the starters and players coming off the bench for the home team, the Cardinals went into halftime with a lead of 32-27.
The alumni came back from halftime determined to reclaim the lead and put their years of experience to work, and eventually claimed a six point lead late in the game. The Cardinals, however, would not be denied, and fought back to claim a six point lead of their own.
With time running out, the alumni called a timeout, designed a sideline out-of-bounds play, and knocked down the three-point shot to bring the game within three. The alumni were forced to foul to stop the clock, and although given several opportunities, the Cardinals did not make their free throws and the alumni had another chance to tie the game. Although the sideline play worked to get the three-point shooter open, the alumni team missed the attempt and the Cardinals hung on to win the game 62-59. Leading the team in scoring was April Rachel with 20 points. Leading the alumni was Chelsea Powell with 23.
Although the team has a way to go before their first game on November 1, the promise they showed their fans during the alumni game bodes well for the season to come.