Ali Fernand- Editor-in-Chief
Dillon Flanigan- Sports Editor
The women’s basketball team lost 74-68 to nationally ranked Assumption University on Saturday, Jan. 27. This was an in-conference NE10 game at their home court in Moore Field House. The game was close, improving on the last time they played Assumption in November.
“We’ve made a lot of progress as a team. I think this shows our progress and our potential,” Head Coach Kate Lynch said.
In November, the Owls lost 77-59 on the road to Assumption. Their performance in this game showed the team’s preparation for a difficult team in the NE10 Conference.
The Owls went into the game strong, taking a 5-0 early lead all by forward Katie Williamson, a senior. They showed they were ready for a tough game and played on. However, Assumption gained the lead by the end of the first quarter, leaving the score 21-16.
“Rattling them from the very beginning does show a lot about where we stand and where we want to be,” Williamson said.
In the second quarter, the Owls put in effort to catch up to Assumption. Guard Jillian Martin, a senior, and guard Rheyna Steinauer, a sophomore, each nailed a three-pointer. By the end of the first half, the Owls were tied to Assumption 30-30.
“I just try to take the best option if possible, so when my three is open, I’ll shoot it,” Martin said.
Martin totaled 13 points, two rebounds, two assists and one steal while leading the team with 38 minutes of play. Steinauer had five points and lead the team with five rebounds in 20 minutes off the bench.
Williamson showed a strong start, scoring 10 points for her squad. The Owls shot 57.1% in the first half of the game. But her play did not spot from there and opened the second half with back-to-back layups Owls. She continued adding 7 more to her point total. She finished the day with 21 points, four rebounds and one steal.
As the Owls kept the score close, Assumption took the lead and commanded a 9-0 scoring run in the third quarter.
“You got to be focused and dialed in for 40 minutes, especially against the team of Assumption,” Lynch said.
At the end of the third quarter, Assumption was ahead, leading 49-43. The Owls did their best to earn back the lead in the fourth quarter. They went on their own scoring run 7-0 late in the fourth but fell short.
“We prepared really, really well the last couple of days for Assumption,” Lynch said. “For us, we’re just trying to focus on being relentless for the 40 minutes in terms of effort.”
However, the Owls ended up losing the game by six points. The players expressed disappointment in the loss but were overall upbeat about the improvement they have made over the season.
“We’re almost a completely different team,” guard Makenzie Helms, a graduate, said. “We learned each other’s strengths and weaknesses and where each other wants the ball.”
The team has fallen to 10 wins and nine losses this season so far. The rest of this season will be defining how the Owls can grow as a team.
“Coming back from when we played in our first NE10 game in the conference and to see the growth we had for this game from the last game was actually outstanding,” Williamson said.
The team has little time before their next game against American International College, though the team is ready for their quick preparation from this game to the next.
“We have one day of prep for AIC,” Lynch said. “We just have to really focus in and be intense.”
The game against AIC takes place on Tuesday, Jan. 30 at the Owls’ home court in Moore Field House.
“We’re going to think about this one today. Then we have to sleep on it, move on and get ready for AIC,” Lynch said.
