The culmination of the winter sports season sees the Connecticut College women’s basketball team with a record of 15-7 overall and 5-3 in the NESCAC, with an impressive triumph against Bates and nail biting wins against Trinity and Colby.
“Trinity was a big win for us, especially because it was at their gym,” said Kaitlyn Cresencia ’15. “Last year they beat us twice there, including knocking us out of the NESCAC tournament. Our approach right now is to have great practices to allow us to step into the gym feeling prepared.”
The Camels have two more games remaining in the regular season against NESCAC rivals Williams and Hamilton. They are vying for a solid seed headed into the NESCAC tournament, with the quarterfinals beginning on Sat, Feb 21. Currently, with a 57-52 win against Hamilton on Feb. 14, the team has a firm grasp on a playoff position.
“I think other NESCAC [schools] tend to underestimate us based on past seasons, but this year most teams in the NESCAC are pretty competitive which is fun to be a part of,” said Jenna Lovett ’16. “In recent years we have had bad luck with getting into the NESCAC tournament, so we still need to show teams that we can compete and be a strong force in the tournament.”
This season the team has two offensive players ranked highly among the NESCAC competition: Liz Malman ’17 and Mairead Hynes ’18. Both have consistently stepped up to score double digits since the beginning of the season.
“Liz’s athleticism makes her incredibly difficult to guard off the dribble,” said Cresencia.
“Mairead brings a presence that teams have struggled to guard, forcing a lot of double teams. When we exploit the double teams and move the ball well, our team has been successful.”
Malman and Hynes are only two of the positive elements that has catapulted the team into the NESCAC tournament. While offense is the team’s strong suit, it is not the only aspect of the game they excel at.
“Our mentality is to put our team in the best position to win every game, regardless of who is scoring,” said Lovett. “Some of our teammates that are non-starters or come off the bench are the hardest workers on our team, and have made great contributions this year, not only on the offensive end, but on defensive and hustle plays as well.”
The team has faced incredible adversity this season, specifically in battling multiple injuries that do not just impact the games, but their practices. These misfortunes have forced the team to adapt and have given them a unique skillset to face whatever the NESCAC tosses their way.
“With a small roster to begin with, we had two starters go down with knee injuries, sidelining one of them for the rest of the season,” said Cresencia. “We’ve had to adapt our individual roles and come together as a team to overcome a lot.”
“There were practices where only six of us have been healthy enough to play,” added Cresencia. “All four of our coaches have had to jump into practice at one point or another just so we could play five on five.”
Despite a shortened roster, the team has shown consistent progress from seasons in recent memory under head coach, Brian Wilson.
“Compared to previous years we’ve accomplished a lot in non-conference play, avenging a couple losses fewer from last year,” said Cresencia. “The NESCAC is extremely competitive where any game can go either way, so while we have a similar NESCAC record as last year, we’ve grown a lot.”
The team recognizes there is still room for improvement heading into the championship tournament, and will undoubtedly work to better their game. With so few games remaining, every game-time decision carries weight.
“We’ve been in a lot of really close games, with multiple lead changes,” said Cresencia. “Our team has done a nice job of getting consecutive stops on defense to get us back. Digging in and fighting back from a deficit, handling the other team’s run, has kept us in a lot of games.”
The Lady Camels’ next challenge is against Williams in the quarterfinals for the 2015 NESCAC women’s basketball championship. •