SPRING ARBOR, Mich. – Emma Smieska put on a show in front of a raucous McDonald Athletic Center on Wednesday for the Spring Arbor University women's basketball team's first-ever Field Trip Game where hundreds of students from nearby Hanover-Horton Elementary were in attendance.
 
The junior from Leslie, Michigan poured in a career-high 26 points to lead the Cougars past Rochester Christian University, 80-57, and to the sixth straight victory to open the campaign.
 
 
THE BASICS
SCORE: Spring Arbor 80, Rochester Christian 57
LOCATION: Spring Arbor, Mich. | American 1 Credit Union Arena
RECORDS: Spring Arbor 6-0, Rochester Christian 1-4
 
 
GAME NOTES

• Spring Arbor trailed by one after the first quarter, but was able to take control in the second, outscoring Rochester Christian 20-12 to take a 31-24 halftime lead.
• The Cougars continued to play add-on in the third, and stretched the margin to as many as 25 in the fourth, en route to their sixth straight victory to begin the season.
• Smieska had 26 points on 10-of-20 shooting while also going 6-for-7 from the free throw line. Along with her career-high in points, she added five rebounds, four steals and two assists.
• Megan Zeitz and Alayna Kulesza finished in double figures. Zeitz had 16 points and five rebounds while Kulesza had 14 points and eight boards. Alana Nelson, the reigning Crossroads League Offensive Player of the Week, finished with eight points and a game-high 12 rebounds.
• Spring Arbor outscored Rochester Christian 54-36 in the paint. The Cougars also forced the Warriors into 29 turnovers and converted those into 30 points.

 
 
UP NEXT
Spring Arbor visits Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (4-0) on Saturday, Nov. 16. Game time is set for 2 p.m.