With second place in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) South Division on the line, the Lions fell short against the rival Rowan University Profs last Wednesday.
After a 26-19 lead at the end of the first half, the Lions saw their opportunity disappear. The game ended with a score of 56-47, Rowan.
The first half was a powerful one for the Lions, as junior Kelsey Kutch and sophomore Hannah Tait started up front. The Lions took the lead within the first two minutes of the game when Kutch made a lay-up bringing the score to 5-4. The College held the lead over Rowan for the remainder of the half.
“We kept playing through and pressuring them which allowed us a nice lead going into halftime,” junior Stephanie Prall says. Prall started at guard along with sophomore Katie Occhipinti and junior Keri Washington.
Rowan came out with a lot of energy in the second half, tackling the Lions’ seven-point lead. The Profs started off the half with a 9-0 run to take back the lead. Washington finally broke their streak with a lay-up. Washington also led the team in rebounds with 11.
Despite scoring 21 points in the second half, the College was unable to regain their lead. All in all, Kutch finished the game with nine points, as did freshman Candace Vigo. Sophomore Jessica Imhof was also a key player scoring eight points in the game.
The Lions’ currently have a record of 5-5 in their division. They are 12-10 overall this season. The ladies hope to finish out the season strong and qualify for the New Jersey Athletic Conference semi-finals. They expect to make it, Prall says, “taking each game at a time.”
The College will play Rutgers Univeristy-Camden (2-18) this Wednesday Feb. 10 at 6 p.m. The Lions then host Kean University (21-1) at home on Saturday Feb. 13.
