Women’s basketball lives to see another day as the Cardinals beat Middlebury for the second time this season. The ladies will advance to the second round of the NESCAC Tournament and play the number three seeded Bates Bobcats.
Middlebury came in with a slight chip on their shoulders. They knew that they had something to prove as they looked to knock off the number two seed, the Cardinals.
The game started off with the Panthers pouncing first, going up early in the first half. But the full court man-to-man defense by Wes began wrecking havoc on the Panthers’ offensive flow. A quick 4-0 run by Wes and the tough Cardinals defense resulted in the Panthers turning the ball over, but the Cardinals could not capitalize at their end of the court. The Cardinals play was a little under par for their own standards.
“Our first half we also played a little sluggish, perhaps it was the fact that we hadn’t played in a real game in a week so our bodies were just getting used to playing at game speed. Shots weren’t falling, but more importantly we weren’t getting the stops on defense,” said Tri-Captain Amy Posocco ’04.
Fellow Tri-Captain Meeghan Ward ’04 kept Wes in the game on a bucket, but the Panthers quickly answered. Middlebury kept the momentum going and took a 29-28 lead into the half. As the teams ran off the court the Panthers were grinning as if they had just come in for the kill against the Cardinals. The home team left the court with game faces still on, knowing that they had to step it up big.
“We were really lucky at half time that we were only down by one point. Coach Mullen got us motivated at half and we knew that if we didn’t start playing like we knew we could our season would be finished,” said Tri-Captain Liz Walsh ’04. “Our team has worked so hard and we have put in so much time and energy that there was no chance that we weren’t going to pick it up and give it our all.”
“Middlebury definitely stepped up their game since the last time we saw them, they hit shots that weren’t falling in the last game and they just played harder most likely because a loss meant the end of their season,” said Nora Bowman ’05. “I think once we realized that this team wasn’t just going to lay down for us we started to play with more intensity than they did.”
Wes came back in the second half on fire, scoring first and fast; two quick baskets prompted a Middlebury timeout. Ward continued her unrelenting offense on the Panthers as Wes built itself a little cushion. The fans finally got into the game midway through the second half with the Wesleyan fight song.
The second half progressed with Wes still in the lead and pressure was on the Panthers when with three minutes left they were down 58-48. But foul trouble was really starting to take its toll as the Bobcats’ leading scorer, leading rebounder and their big presence, in the lane all fouled out. The intensity picked up towards the end of the second half and it looked like Wes just wanted it more. The Cardinals sent the Panthers away to their lair with a final score of 66-53.
Wes was led in scoring by Ashley Mastrangelo ’06, who netted fifteen points and added eight rebounds. Team leading scorer Hannah Stubbs ’06 had fourteen of her own, with six rebounds and three blocked shots. Posocco chipped in twelve points and Ward stepped up her intensity and play, putting in ten.
“I think we really kicked it in gear during the second half, shots started falling and our defensive stops were key in taking the lead and keeping it,” Posocco said. “We’re all psyched for next week, a chance to play Bates in the semis up in Bowdoin is exactly where we wanted to be this year.”
“The fans were also incredible. They really helped to motivate us and create a great home court advantage. It was a great win and we look forward to what’s ahead of us this weekend,” Walsh said.
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