Shannon Welch/Staff Photographer

After a scorching hot 7-1 start to their season, the Wesleyan women’s basketball team has played .500 ball over its past eight contests. The Cardinals earned victories against Franklin & Marshall, Simmons, Colby, and Middlebury, while falling to Williams, Wellesley, Bowdoin, and Conn College.
The Cardinals traveled to Williamstown, Mass. on Dec. 7 to take on a tough Williams squad, which defended its home court and dealt Wes a 53-46 loss. Offensive woes did Wes in; the Cards shot 14 of 65 from the field, registering a season-low .215 shooting percentage. Captain Jenna Klaes ’14 led the Cardinals in scoring with 11 points, while Jess Cherenza ’15 dominated the boards, leading the team in rebounds with 12.

Scoring struggles were the culprit again in a 60-46 home loss to Wellesley College on Dec. 30. The Cards’ defense stepped up for 10 steals and a season-high four blocks, but the effort on the other end was not enough. Cherenza led all Cardinals with just 11 points, and captain Amber Wessells ’14 added 9 of her own.

Wesleyan started the New Year off on a winning note, taking down Franklin & Marshall College 69-58 on Jan. 4 at home in Silloway Gymnasium. The Cardinals showed off their sharpshooting, putting up their second-best field-goal percentage (.433) of the season, hitting on 26 of 60 from the field. Both Klaes and Cherenza set career highs in scoring. Klaes dropped 18 points to lead all scorers, while Cherenza netted 15; Cherkira Lashley ’15 chipped in 10 as well. The win did not come without a downside, however, as the Cardinals lost Wessells to a knee injury late in the second half. Wessells has not played in a game since, and there is no definitive timetable for her return.

The Cardinals’ offense busted out in a big way in an 81-45 beat-down of Simmons College at home on Jan. 7, powered by a season high of eight three-pointers. The scoring barrage was led by Captain KellyAnn Rooney ’14 (14 points) and Kaylie Williams ’16 (12 points), while the stingy Cardinal defense forced 22 Simmons turnovers. Dreisen Heath ’15 led the poaching effort with five steals.

Wesleyan came out strong in NESCAC play on Jan. 10 with a 59-49 road win over Colby. Rooney and Lashley each had solid games, with both notching 11 points and 7 rebounds. The second leg of the Cardinals’ Maine trip was considerably more negative, as Bowdoin dealt Wes its worst defeat of the season 65-45.  It was the lowest scoring output of the spring for the Cards, whose tired legs were no match for the host Polar Bears.

The return home was refreshing, though, as Wes bounced back on Jan. 17 with a big 59-51 win over Middlebury. Jackie Brown ’16 was the star of the game, netting a career-high of 14 points. Cherenza continued to work the boards, collecting nine rebounds.

The hospitable home play was short lived, however, as Wesleyan suffered a heartbreaking loss of 65-61 to Conn College on Jan. 25. With eight seconds left in the overtime period, Wes turned the ball over on an inbound pass, giving the Camels possession and sealing the Cardinals’ fate. Rooney lead the Cards in scoring with 15 points, while Cherenza recorded an impressive double-double with 11 points and a game-high of 13 rebounds.

Wesleyan’s next game will be at home on Tuesday, Jan. 28 against Amherst. The formidable Little Three foe currently sits in second place in the NESCAC standings.
“We’re looking to bounce back from the loss this past weekend and use it going forward to help improve for this coming weekend, because we have some tough competition,” Cherenza said.

While it’s important to take the season one game at a time and not get caught looking ahead, the Cardinals’ toughest test of the season comes on Saturday, Feb. 1 at home against undefeated 16-0 Tufts University. Cherenza did not try to downplay the importance of the matchup.

“We’re really looking forward to playing against Tufts because it’s going to be a huge challenge and opportunity for us. I have faith in our team.”