After a frustrating start to the NESCAC portion of their schedule, the women’s basketball team heads into the final two weekends of the conference schedule still in control of its own playoff fate. Currently sitting in seventh place in the conference standings, the Cards must at least maintain their position in order to qualify for post-season play.
The Cards returned from a holiday tournament in Phoenix with a record of 7-2 and appeared ready to battle for the top spot in the NESCAC. But since opening conference play with a 55-46 win over Connecticut College, the Cards have dropped five of their last six contests.
Despite sporting the fourth best defense in the conference, the Cards have had offensive difficulties. Shooting just 39% from the field in conference games, the Cards have been unable to capitalize on their +3.4 rebounding margin, a mark that ranks second in the NESCAC.
While not playing up to their potential, the Cards’ season could look much different if not for a few bad bounces. Of their five losses to conference opponents, three were by a margin of three points or less. The trend continued this past weekend when the Cards fell to Bates and Tufts by a combined total of just five points. In Friday night’s game against Bates, the Cards fell victim to a 13-2 run by the Bobcats in the closing minutes to find themselves down by six with just over a minute remaining. Gaining possession after a Bobcat free throw with three seconds to go, a three-point attempt by Ali Fourney ’09 missed, giving Bates the victory.
Saturday’s 50-48 loss to Tufts featured more of the same for Wesleyan. Down one with seven seconds remaining, Tufts’ guard Valerie Krah nailed the 126th three pointer of her career to steal the game. While disappointed by the loss, Tufts is undefeated in conference, and playing the Jumbos down to the wire proved the Cards have talent.
This weekend, the team will look to right the ship against Trinity and Amherst. Trinity sits at the bottom of the NESCAC standings with a conference mark of 1-5, while Amherst is just one spot in front of the Cards at 3-3. Earlier this season, the Cards lost 81-69 to Amherst in a Little Three contest in Middletown.
Fourney and Nikki Meletta ’08 lead the Cards in scoring, averaging 16.2 and 10.9 points per game respectively. Fourney also leads the team in rebounding, grabbing 7.3 boards a game. Meanwhile, freshmen Emilie Knight ’10 and Kiah McAndrew-Davis ’10 have provided solid minutes off the bench.
Both games this weekend are at home. Friday night’s game tips off at 7:30 p.m. and the Saturday matinee starts at 3:30 p.m.
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