The women’s basketball team picked up a crucial win over the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in its first home game of the season on Tuesday. In a game where the lead changed hands many times, the teams were tied at the end of regulation, but the Cardinals dominated in overtime when Ali Fourney ’09 took over to lead the team to a 68-58 victory.
The Cardinals trailed by six at the end of the first half, 27-21, due to inaccurate shooting. But at the start of the second period, the Cardinals quickly picked up the rhythm and tied the score at 27, only to find themselves trailing 47-37 with 7:05 to go. At that point, the Cardinals shifted into gear and scored 11-straight points to take over the lead, 48-47 with 3:27 to go.
Ashley Mastrangelo ’06, one of the tri-captains, had two baskets during this run, including the game-typing hoop with only 39 seconds to go. The game went to overtime with the score tied at 52.
Yet again, it was Cardinals who came out quickly after the five-minute interval and took over the lead. Fourney had three steals during the first 1:09 of the extra period, leading to 8-0 Wesleyan run. This time, the Cardinals maintained the lead and won by ten points.
Fourney had a wonderful game with six steals and a career-high 22 points, including eight in OT.
“As far as my three steals go, I guess I was in the right place at the right time,” Fourney said. “Twenty-two points was my career high. I don’t look to go out there and score every time. I just try to do what I can to help my teammates. If my shots are off, I try to play better defense. It all comes down to what I can do to help the team win, not how many points I score. That’s just an added bonus.”
Hannah Stubbs ’06, another tri-captain, had a great game with a double double including eleven points and 18 rebounds. Mastrangelo also put on a show with 14 points and five rebounds, while tri-captain Meghan Robinson ’06 finished with ten points and five rebounds.
“The team was very excited about the win, and this win is a big emotional booster for the rest of season,” Fourney said. “Obviously [the game] was very intense. I know that the girls and I feel that we should have won without going into overtime, but the fact that we were able to win our first home game was great. Everyone contributed and played well.”
The Cardinals will visit Springfield, the team that kicked Wesleyan out of the NCAA Division III Tournament last season in the Sweet 16, tonight. The Cardinals are seeking revenge for last year’s season-ending loss against a team currently ranked thirteenth in the nation.
“Our expectations for Springfield are high,” Fourney said. “Obviously we want to win, and considering the history between our teams, it would be a big win. We’ve been practicing hard over the past two days, so there is no reason why we cant win. I think that it should be a good game.”
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