The difference between the women’s basketball team’s two home games this weekend was like day and night. After stumbling to a 35-32 loss to Middlebury on Friday night, the Cardinals came roaring back the next afternoon to dismantle Little Three rival Williams 65-47.
While the Cards aren’t buying into any superstitious arguments, they made their own luck when they had to.
“After the Williams game, Coach [Kate Mullen] pointed out the numbers were pretty evenly distributed,” said Kiah McAndrew-Davis ’10, reciting the team’s unofficial catch phrase: “Everyone contributed, and that’s when we play the best.”
The regular-season finale against Williams was equally important for both teams involved, but the Cardinals stepped up Saturday and put the hurt on Williams. The Ephs never led, but managed to tie the game once at six points apiece and stick around during the entire first half. However, up six to begin the second half, Wesleyan scored the first 13 points of the half as part of a 20-4 run which put the game out of reach for Williams.
“The win was good because Williams beat us in the first round of the playoffs last year,” McAndrew-Davis said.
The main purpose of Saturday’s game essentially was to decide which team would play the other at home next weekend in the first round of the NESCAC women’s basketball championship. However, Little Three match-ups are always hotly contested. The Cards were avenging last year’s early tournament exit at the hands of the Ephs as well as a non-conference loss in Williamstown earlier this year.
Nearly as important, the victory over Williams showed that the team could rebound from its loss on Friday night and regain a balanced attack. Lucy Sprung ’08 logged yet another double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds, while forward Meredith Lowe ’09 did the dirty work for the Cards, grabbing 11 boards and 5 steals. After missing the Middlebury game because of illness, scoring threat Ali Fourney ’09 returned to action to drop 28 on the Ephs.
Despite its great performance on Saturday, the team’s Friday night contest against Middlebury did not forecast such greatness. Missing the NESCAC’s leading scorer in Fourney and with Lowe and Sprung banged up, Wesleyan could not put an effective offense together.
“We couldn’t get a balanced production going and it hurt us,” said McAndrew-Davis, who started both games this weekend in place of Fourney.
In fact, neither team could have bought a point if they had wanted. The Panthers maintained a steadily anemic production of 18 points per half, which was enough for a six-point lead at the end of the first half.
The Cards fought back to within three points of the lead on a Steph Savas ’08 second-half field goal. However, Middlebury turned away five Wesleyan bids to close the gap before making a free throw that secured an ugly 36-32 win for the Panthers.
Regardless, Wesleyan won the one that mattered this weekend and will welcome Williams back to Middletown this Saturday at 3 p.m. As the third-seeded team in the NESCAC, Wesleyan is in a good position to advance deep into the tournament, but for now the Cards are just focused on winning this weekend.
“Williams is a tough place to play, so we’re excited to be at home,” McAndrew-Davis said.
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