Jonas Powell, Staff Photographer

The women’s basketball team played hard non-stop over the school break, both on the road and at home. 

Over the break, Wesleyan played two games at the Miami Gardens Exclusive Tournament. On Dec. 19, the Cardinals started off the weekend with a tough defeat in a non-conference game against nationally-ranked No. 2 St. Thomas University, 85-49. The team’s captains, seniors Tara Berger, Olivia Gorman, and Chynna Bailey, carried the team during this difficult game. Berger and Gorman both scored in double digits, with 11 and 10 points, respectively, while Bailey led the team in rebounds (five) and assists (four). Unfortunately, the team could not properly defend Saints guard Madison Temple, who led the game in both points (30) and assists (7).

The next day, the team went on to defeat SUNY Plattsburgh, 71-39. Gorman, Berger, and Katy O’Connor ’21 notched high totals, all hitting double digits. Gorman was the high scorer of the game with 17 points, while O’Connor followed behind with 12 points. Berger recorded a double-double, scoring 11 points and grabbing 12 boards. Along with O’Connor, other notable underclassmen this game include Emma Roush ’21, who recorded four assists, and Caleigh Ryan ’22, who scored nine points.

“My favorite thing about this team is how well integrated our first years are both on and off the court,” Berger said. “We’re lucky to have this young talented class contributing right away to our program.”

The Red Birds started 2019 by defeating Fairleigh Dickinson University Florham, 66-59, on Jan. 2 at home. While Devils junior guard Cayla Staggers led the team in scoring, dropping 21 points, it was not enough to defeat the Cards. Gorman followed closely behind Staggers with 20 points, while Berger grabbed 15 rebounds and Ryan made three assists. The Cards took the lead early in the first quarter, and held a 32-26 lead by the end of the half. Much of the team’s success in the first half can be attributed to its domination on the glass, bringing down 23 offensive rebounds.

“Caleigh Ryan has done well for us in the past few games, along with Marina Petruzzi ’22, who brings energy off the bench” Gorman said. “Tara Berger and Chynna Bailey have also stepped up, especially in the rebounding department.”

The Cardinals lost their first two NESCAC games against Little Three rival Williams, 83-62, and Middlebury, 69-57. Both games were played at home. Gorman led the team in scoring for both games, scoring 16 points against the Ephs and 14 points against the Panthers. In their game against Williams, Bailey and Berger both grabbed seven rebounds, and Ava Tompkins ’20 made two assists. Against Middlebury, Berger recorded nine rebounds, and Tompkins recorded six assists.

“Winter break is an important time for us because we start our NESCAC games,” Gorman said. “Our first two NESCAC games didn’t go how we wanted, but the team has bounced back with determination and I’m excited to see our continued progress.”

The team did in fact bounce back, winning a total of four more games over the break: the team defeated University of Maine Fort Kent on Jan. 8, 72-46; Hamilton on Jan. 11, 65-56; New Jersey City University on Jan. 14, 72-65; and Conn. College on Jan. 19, 68-60.

“I’m proud of the way we’ve been playing over break, especially since we have a very challenging schedule,” Berger said. “We’ve had some hard-fought wins over competitive NESCAC and non-conference teams. Our underclassmen are really stepping up and getting better each game.”

Unfortunately, each of the Cardinals’ winning streaks were broken the two times they faced defending champion Amherst. On Jan. 12, the team lost 62-44 on the road. While they lost at home on Jan. 21, it was a much closer game, 67-57.

“Looking ahead, our upcoming games will primarily be against tough NESCAC teams,” Berger said. “We know that our 2-3 conference record puts us in a position where we need to win some crucial games to make the playoffs, which is always our goal every season. I really like the way we’ve been competing, and feel confident that we will finish the season strong.”

Come out and support the women’s team Jan. 25, at 7 p.m. against Bates, as well as Jan. 26, at 3 p.m. against Tufts.   

Alissa Dobrinsky can be reached at adobrinsky@wesleyan.edu.