It was a tough weekend for the women’s basketball team on the road. After beginning to show some signs of a late season run, the team dropped its Friday game against Emory 71–64, and lost to No. 13 Rochester on Sunday by a score of 75–64. After winning three in row, the team now falls to 12–8 on the season and 4–5 in conference.
The team came out strong in its first game on Emory’s home court. Both receiving a solid contribution from the bench (19 points) and severely limiting the Eagles’ offensive opportunities, the Maroons headed into halftime holding a 34–28 lead.
Emory pulled within two points late in the second half, setting up what seemed like an exciting finish. Unfortunately, things fell apart for the Maroons in the fourth quarter. The team was outscored 26–17, and the Eagles walked away with the win.
Much of the blame for the loss falls upon the team’s work on the boards, as it was outrebounded 35–26. However, it was actually the defensive miscues at the end of the game that sealed the deal for Chicago. “We had breakdowns in our defense,” said second-year guard Elizabeth Nye. “It’s usually our defense that drives our offense and energy so we fell apart at the end.”
The Maroons looked to bounce back from the loss in their game on Sunday, but they faced a nationally-ranked Yellowjackets squad that they had just upset the previous weekend. However, the Maroons put themselves behind the eight ball early, and trailed 33–21 at the half.
Things got even worse in the second half as Rochester pulled away even further behind some very efficient shooting. While Nye, who had 21 points on the night to go with five rebounds and three assists, led a strong fourth quarter push, it wasn’t enough to make up Rochester’s big lead. The Maroons were their own worst enemy in the game, shooting a pitiful 2/15 from three-point range while also having poor showing from the free throw line and on the boards.
However, the team isn’t getting discouraged. With five games left in the season, all against conference opponents, they are focusing on regaining their identity heading into this home stretch. “We’re going to work on getting back to what makes us, us,” noted Nye. “We’re going to work hard and play good defense and we’ll be fine.”
As they now sit below .500 in conference play, every game is going to represent a do-or-die situation for the Maroons. In particular, their upcoming game against Carnegie Mellon, with whom they’re tied in the standings, could represent the turning point of the season. “We’re going to play hard and finish strong,” stated a passionate Nye. “We still have to play every game with pride.”
The Maroons square off against the Carnegie Mellon Tartans on Friday, February 12. Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. at the Ratner Athletics Center.
