By Tyler Morello
Staff Writer
The College’s women's basketball team rode their hot streak this past week, snagging wins in their matchups against Rowan University and New Jersey City University. They were able to extend their win streak heading into the final stretch of the season.
The Lions first traveled to Glassboro, New Jersey, to face a streaky Profs squad that had won four straight and seven of their last nine games.
The Profs were seeking revenge for their earlier contest against the Lions when the Lions came out on top 58-46. This time around, it was not much different as the Lions capitalized on their three-point opportunities to win 69-53.
They knocked down six of their 10 total threes in the first quarter, propelling them to a 22-12 lead. The College suddenly went cold from beyond the arc in the second and third quarters, and the Profs clawed back to make it a two-point game with four minutes to go in the third.
The College was able to keep the game under control from there on out and hit three more three-pointers in the fourth to close it out, as they shot 10-25 on the night.
It was the starters who really carried the offensive load for the Lions. Four of the five starters hit double figures in points, while the bench only accounted for two points.
Sophomore Grace Kowalski finished with 20 points and five assists, the fourth time this season she has had at least 20 points. Seniors Arianna McCleod and Nina Branchizio poured in 16 and 14 points respectively, while junior Katie Fricker had 10.
The College then faced off against New Jersey City University, a team that has been the Lions’ kryptonite in recent years. The two squads competed in an absolute thriller for the Lions’ Senior Day where they honored Branchizio and McCleod and were able to come away with a win.
“It was definitely a special moment to get a win on a day that is meant to celebrate mine and Nina’s careers here,” McCleod, a marketing major, said. “Especially in such a close game, I think it really shows the chemistry we have as a team on and off the court.”
“Senior night or not, we always are grateful to be out there and play for one another,” Branchizio, a speech pathology and audiology major, said.
McCleod and Kowalski got the Lions going early in the first with some buckets, while Branchizio scored seven in the quarter. Junior Myah Hourigan-Hutton laid in the ball with a few seconds left after a sweet drive and dish from freshman Amanda Baylock to put the Lions up 18-10.
The Gothic Knights were able to crawl back into the game with the Lions getting into some foul trouble in the second quarter. Branchizio and McCleod each picked up their second foul early in the quarter, while Kowalski did the same near the end of the quarter.
Not only would these fouls take them out of the game, but NJCU was capitalizing by hitting 11-12 free throws in the quarter alone. The College held a 28-25 lead at the half.
Everything was starting to work against the Lions' favor to start the second half. Branchizio got her third foul early in the third quarter, and the Lions' offense seemed to stall as they were all of a sudden down 36-30 with just over three minutes left.
Freshman Brooke McFadden scored off an assist from Hourigan-Hutton and then soared in for an offensive rebound on the next possession, which she put back in to cut the deficit to two. After a free throw made by NJCU, Kowalski drained a rainbow three to knot up the score at 37.
McFadden got the ball once again on the ensuing offensive possession and fought through contact for an and-one to get the fans and Lions’ bench on their feet. The Gothic Knights hit their only three-pointer of the game as time expired in the third, and they led 42-40 heading into the fourth.
The College once again found themselves in a difficult situation down 51-44 midway through the fourth quarter, and it seemed things were starting to slip away. Kowalski knocked down another timely three-pointer to give the team some momentum.
With the score 53-49, fifth-year Jaclyn Feit caught the ball on the left block and powered her way across the paint with a defender draped on her for an and-one lay-in. After converting on the free-throw, the Lions forced a turnover and got the ball back.
The College went right back to Feit on the left block, and she went through the paint again for another layup. They fed her again on the next possession and got similar results as Feit was fouled going up for the shot. She made both free throws to put the Lions up 56-55 with just under two minutes to play.
Neither team scored after this, but the Gothic Knights did have a final shot after a costly Lions turnover with 11 seconds left. The Lions ultimately came together for one final stop to win the nail-biter of a game.
These two wins made it eight in a row for the College, as they seem to be hitting their stride at the perfect time.
“I think repetition has been a huge key to our success in this past stretch of games,” said McCleod. “We get continuous reps in practice with shooting, playing 1v1 defense, and finishing through contact and I think our improvement in those areas has shown in our recent games.”
The Lions have one more regular season game at Montclair State University on Wednesday, Feb. 19 before the New Jersey Athletic Conference playoffs begin. They will be looking to settle some unfinished business from last season where they lost in the championship game.
“I think the main thing is taking it one game at a time and not getting ahead of ourselves,” Branchizio said about the playoffs. “We’re facing some tough opponents in the coming games, so making sure we stay focused in practice is important. Having competitive, fun practices leading up to games like these gives us extra confidence.”
