The women’s basketball team took a trip down south this past weekend after stopping to play a game in Cleveland on Friday. Failing to gain the excitement like they had at home, they fell to the Case Western Reserve University Spartans.
The Spartans started the game with a 10-0 run, igniting a fire that could not be stopped. Especially in the first half, the Yellowjackets could not find their range, shooting a deplorable 13 percent from the field, while the Spartans shot almost 39 percent.
On the bright side, the bench stepped up to provide a bulk of the first half points, scoring 11 of 16 points by the Yellowjackets. Freshman Marlena Fisher and junior Emily Bango led the pack with four points each. They made critical jumpers and layups that kept the Yellowjackets alive.
UR tried to rebound their play in the second half with tougher defense and a better offensive strategy. They pulled within eight points several times in the second half thanks to freshmen Johanna McNelis’ three-pointer, Alex Porter’s layup at the 10-minute mark and Julie Marriott’s free throws. Although they tried to return with a comeback, the Yellowjackets made less than 30 percent of their shots in the second half.
Much of the last six minutes of play was a contest at the charity stripe, but it was too late for UR. The Spartans won 66-55.
Team captain and senior Jessie Graham attributes internal mistakes that prompted the loss.
“Our loss against Case Western was very hard for the team,” Graham said. “We lacked communication and didn’t play as a team.”
Bango had another explanation for the loss.
“We felt physically ready for the game, but from the tip we struggled to play as a team,” Bango said. “We were very tight in the first half and couldn’t seem to get into a flow on offense.”
Graham scored a team high of 10 points that night and dished out four assists. Porter fell two points shy of a double-double, rebounding 10.
The Yellowjackets returned to the court two days later to defeat the Emory University Eagles, 62-50. Bango believes that the break in between the two weekend games helped them succeed in the latter.
“On Saturday, our team refocused and solidified our goals in how we wanted to finish out the regular season,” Bango said. “We acknowledged that we cannot have lapses like [those in the Case Western game].”
Like the game against the Spartans, UR started slow against the Eagles, allowing their opponents a 13-6 lead four and a half minutes into the game.
Graham came to the rescue with her raining threes, finishing with five in the first half. With the help from Bango and Porter, the Yellowjackets finished the half to gain a lead of one.
UR stormed into the second half with a run of their own. Graham and Bango exchanged sweet jumpers that led to the Eagles’ demise. Freshman Julie Marriott joined in the fun, coming off the bench to get some well-earned layups and shots from around the field. This boosted UR to a consistent double-digit lead by the three-minute mark.
Graham finished with 22 points, tying her career high. After her six three-pointers on Sunday, she now holds the record for most career three-pointers made at 169, passing the previous record of 167. She could not have done it without her fellow Yellowjackets.
“I just came out hard and played hard,” said Graham. “My teammates got me the ball and I was open.”
UR’s record boosted to 8-5 at University Athletic Association play and 17-7 overall, remaining in contention for the NCAA Division III playoffs. They will travel to Brandeis University this Saturday to improve their chances.
Lee can be reached at alee@campustimes.org.
