The Wesleyan women’s basketball team experienced a rollercoaster ride at the Courtyard by Marriott Classic this past weekend. If the Cardinals’ multitude of strengths were on full display in Friday’s dominant performance against Keystone, the degree to which they are still coming into their own was equally evident in Saturday’s disappointing defeat to Bridgewater State.
Wesleyan came into Friday’s semifinal riding high, as an impressive opening weekend had the Lady Cardinals undefeated through three games for the first time in six years. They backed up this confidence in authoritative fashion, using a barrage of threes and stifling defensive pressure to effectively put the game to rest before many fans could even settle into the bleachers. Sharpshooters Erin Gold ’11 (tri-captain), Jenna Klaes ’14, and Allie Southam ’11 (tri-captain) sent the Cardinals out to a 14-point lead within the first seven minutes, and the rout was on from there. The undermanned and overmatched Giants could only marvel as the homestanding Cardinals finished the half on a 16-0 run that pushed the overall score to 44-13. With such a discrepancy in hand, the 2nd half presented a clear opportunity for coach Kate Mullen to get the bench involved, and that’s exactly how things transpired. When the smoke cleared every Cardinal had logged double-digit minutes, and Wesleyan had walked away with a 77-29 victory
Unfortunately, Saturday represented a step back for the Cardinals, as they saw their unbeaten streak come to a screeching halt at the hands of Bridgewater State. The final score was 77-65, but even a twelve-point margin belies how thoroughly Wesleyan was outplayed, as the Cards trailed by double digits for the entire second half. The main culprit was, somewhat surprisingly, their effort on the defensive end. This year’s squad had been conspicuously characterized by intense ball-hawkery and swift perimeter close-outs, but this determination was notably absent in the first half. Bridgewater took full advantage of this lethargy, and what was a back-and-forth affair through the opening seven minutes became a double-digit Bears advantage by the halfway point in the period. By halftime the deficit had ballooned to 44-24, and Wesleyan was unable to mount a sustained comeback in the second stanza.
The championship game result was especially difficult to swallow for the Lady Cards because of who the opponent was. The Bears knocked off Wesleyan at home last year in an overtime struggle, and several of the Cardinals had privately acknowledged that revenge was on their mind. With home court advantage, and a number of impressive performances through their first four games, they seemed to be primed to realize this goal, but luck was not on the Cards’ side this time. Nevertheless, one lackluster performance cannot take away from the many excellent pieces that the Cardinals have put in place thus far. Every team gets punched in the mouth at some point in a campaign, but the true measure of a top-tier squad is how they respond to such adversity. With challenging opponents like Worchester State and Hunter College on the docket for the coming week, Wesleyan has a prime opportunity to prove to the NESCAC and to itself exactly what this team is made of.
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