Courtesy of CT Archives
After losing to Washington University in St. Louis on Friday and University of Chicago on Sunday, UR women’s basketball dropped to a 6-3 conference record, to tie with Washington.
In the Yellowjackets’ second loss of the season, Washington forward Melissa Gilkey led her team to victory, scoring 19 points, pulling down seven rebounds as well as blocking four shots. UR had difficulty making baskets, ending the game on 37.9 percent shooting. Outside the arc, Washington made four of six shots, while UR made only two of eight. Sophomore guard Laney Ming recorded 13 points for the ’Jackets. Sophomore center Danielle McNabb also had a phenomenal game, contributing nine points and five rebounds. With the ending score at 55-60, it is clear that this was a close game.
Two days after losing to Washington, the yellow and blue were trumped in their rematch against Chicago. On Jan. 29, UR lost 59-75 in Chicago; this Sunday,the Yellowjackets lost to Chicago 55-68 in a near repeat of their first defeat.
The ’Jackets ended the first period on a 10-3 run, putting them up 31-25 at halftime. In the second half, however, Chicago shot 58 percent from the field, while the Yellowjackets managed only 22 percent, allowing Chicago to score 15 points which went all but unanswered at the start of the second half.
Junior guard Kristyn Wright led the Yellowjackets in scoring with 12 points, while UR’s senior guard Michelle Ketcham helped manage the game with three steals and four assists, but the women’s bigs were what kept them in the game. Forward-centers senior Jodie Luther and sophomore Loren Wagner worked together to earn the team 20 points and 14 rebounds, an improvement from the previous Sunday’s matchup against Chicago. Luther’s aggressive style of play got her to the free throw line eight times, where she made seven of the eight shots. Her block and second half steal also stole some of Chicago’s momentum.
Chicago forward Morgan Herrick played a crucial role in both of her team’s victories. On Sunday she had a game-high of 19 points, 10 of which were scored in the second half. Her sister and guard Meghan Herrick contributed 13 points in each of Chicago’s victories. The sisters’ second-half heroics have helped Chicago beat UR two weekends in a row.
Over the past couple of games, the Yellowjackets’ field goal percentages have been lower than in earlier games when compared to the 40 and 50 percent shooting they posted earlier in the year. They have not pulled down as many boards, either. Despite a streak of three losses, the Yellowjackets have a shot at getting back on track this Friday as they play for a victory over eight place team Brandeis University.
