ORANGE, Calif. – The Macalester women's basketball team opened the 2022 season on the west coast, facing Chapman University. Macalester fought hard, but ultimately fell 78-45 to the Panthers. Macalester starts the season 0-1.
Sophomore guard/forward
Peyton Starks (St. Louis, Mo./John Burroughs School) knocked down the first shot of the game and fellow sophomore guard/forward
Katherine Norquist (Chicago, Ill./Walter Payton College Prep) sank a three to go up 5-2 with 6:58 left in the quarter. However, the Panthers would rally and take a 21-11 lead at the end of the first quarter. In the second quarter, senior guard
Solana Cushing (Minneapolis, Minn./South) started the Scots off strong with a three-pointer, but the Panthers continued to grow their lead. Starks tallied six more points in the quarter while junior guard
Andrea Palmen (Kenosha, Wis./The Prairie School) and sophomore guard
Camille Samuel (Tampa, Fla./Tampa Preparatory) added to Macalester's point total. Chapman took a 42-25 lead at the half.
The third quarter started with Starks and Norquist combining for six points, bringing the score to 48-31 in favor of the Panthers with 6:14 on the clock. However, the Panthers continued to increase their lead, to as much as 32, and go ahead 67-37 heading into the fourth quarter. First year
Nicole Norton (Brussels, Wis./Southern Door) scored four points in the final 10 minutes, but Macalester ultimately fell 78-45 to Chapman.
Starks led the Scots with 18 points, making 9-of-14 field goals. Norquist came in behind Starks with nine points. Starks, Norquist, and Samuels each tallied the team high six rebounds, while junior forward
Emma LaFrenz (Edina, Minn./Edina) totaled five.
The Scots' next game will be against the University of Redlands on Saturday Nov. 12, in Chapman, Calif.
