The Marian University Ancilla Women's Basketball team is back in the postseason this year, and Tuesday night the Chargers took one more step toward a Great Lakes District A Championship. The Chargers hosted Kalamazoo Valley, and using a combination of strong defense, ball security, and made free throws down the stretch, they were able to separate from the Cougars in the way of a 68-46 victory.

The Chargers came out on a mission defensively, holding Kalamazoo Valley to just 6 first quarter points. However, Marian Ancilla found it difficult to score themselves early on. The Chargers ended up heading into the locker room at halftime with the lead, 30-21, but it was definitely a grind for a while.

The second half started with a run from the Cougars, and the visitors trimmed the lead to just a one possession game at one point. But the Chargers dug in, put together a couple of strong defensive runs, and were able to spread the lead back out and close the win on a combination of easy baskets and free throws.

Freshman Annika Davis led all scorers with 18 points, and she added 3 rebounds as well. Sophomore De'Mour Watson had several nice plays in transition, plus she scored 14 points, pulled down 8 rebounds, and dished out 3 assists. Freshman Santana Eubanks (13 points, 7 rebounds, 3 steals) joined them in double figures scoring the ball.

Marian Ancilla Head Coach Ryan Gould added his spin on the game afterward. "I felt like we came out a little excited and missed some easy shots because of adrenaline early on. The good thing was that we were getting the shots we wanted, and we were playing great defense, so I wasn't worried because eventually those shots will fall. Give Kalamazoo Valley credit; they battled throughout and made it tough on us with their second half run. But I'm proud of the effort we put forth and excited that we get to continue it on Friday."

The Cougars now head to Flint, Michigan, and Mott Community College. They will face off against Muskegon Community College on Friday at 4:00 p.m. If they win that game they would play again on Sunday against an opponent yet to be determined for a chance at advancing to the NJCAA Division II National Tournament. The last time the Chargers made it that far was in 2018. Last night, the ladies also tied a program record with their 26th win of the season, matching that same 2017-2018 squad. Good luck to the Women's Basketball team this weekend in Flint!!