By Jordan Fairchild
Elm Staff Writer
On Thursday, Nov. 9, the Washington College men’s basketball team competed against Immaculata University in their home opener on Finnegan Court at Penny J. Fall Gymnasium. The Shoremen prevailed over the Mighty Macs, 84-76.
This was not a Centennial Conference game.
While tied at 13–13 in the first half, the Mighty Macs went on a five-point run to take a 13–18 lead over the Shoremen. But the Shoremen answered with a 9–0 run, bringing the score to 22–18, which is the Shoremen’s largest first-half advantage.
At halftime the Mighty Macs had the lead at 35–32 over the Shoremen.
With 15:45 left in the second half, senior Tray Wright broke a 40–40 tie with a three-point shot, kicking off a 15–3 run for the Shoremen.
The Shoremen secured their 12-point lead in the next four minutes with a lay-in by sophomore Dillon Smith. This advantage was the largest lead the Shoremen had in the game.
The Mighty Macs came back within six points of the Shoremen toward the end of the half, but the Shoremen reclaimed their 12-point lead with a shot from sophomore Jason Zielinski, bringing the score to 72–60.
In the final 1:26 of the game, the Shoremen made 12 free throws, closing the score out at 84–76.
“We’ve been successful at playing together as one; everyone understands their roles and together that makes us a much better overall team,” Zielinski said. “Our chemistry as a team will help us win a lot of games and shock a lot of people this year.”
Sophomore Kedrick Frink had a team-high of 18 points during the matchup, followed by Wright with 13 points and a game-high of six assists. Sophomore Sam Corrao also scored in double digits with 10 points.
Freshman Precieux Tshibangu had a game-high of five blocks and eight rebounds. He was also named the Goose Nation TV Player of the Game during the live broadcast.
Senior Dilyn Becker had four steals, which was the high for both his career and the game.
The Shoremen shot 48% from the floor, 24% from three-point range, and 67% from the foul line.
The Shoremen’s record improved to 1–1 with the victory over the Mighty Macs. They will compete again on Wednesday, Dec. 1, against in-Conference Johns Hopkins University.
On Saturday, Nov. 13, WC’s women’s basketball team traveled to York, Pa., to play Montclair State University in the first round of the Coaches vs Cancer Classic hosted by York College of Pennsylvania. The Shorewomen prevailed over the Red Hawks, 55–47.
The Red Hawks were leading at the end of the first quarter and carried that advantage into the second quarter. A three-point shot by sophomore Rachel Thiem brought the score to 21–23 at half-time with the Shorewomen trailing.
With 7:45 left in the third quarter, a layup by sophomore Kayleigh White put the Shorewomen ahead, 26–24. They maintained the lead for the remainder of the quarter.
In the fourth quarter, junior Joy Sanders started a 9–0 run for the Shorewomen with a layup. The Shorewomen secured the lead with two free throws from senior Crystal Jones with 3:41 left.
Another four free throws in the remaining 53 seconds of the game brought the final score to 55–47, a victory for the Shorewomen.
Junior Andrea Prestianne had a game-high of 17 points. Jones had a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds during the matchup. Senior Madeline Williams had a team-best of three steals.
The Shorewomen shot 35% from the floor, 25% from three-point range, and 68% from the foul line.
“We were ranked low in the preseason [Conference] poll, so we are taking that and running with it, using it as motivation to prove everyone wrong,” Prestianne said. “Another goal is to form a family throughout the season, trusting each other and being honest, and getting to know each other as best as possible.”
On Sunday, Nov. 14, the Shorewomen faced York’s Spartans in the tournament’s final game. They were narrowly defeated by the Spartans, 47–51.
The Spartans led during the first quarter, but the Shorewomen turned it around in the second quarter to claim a 27–24 lead at halftime.
The Shorewomen led 37–33 at the end of the third quarter with scores from Prestianne and Sanders.
The Spartans took the lead during the fourth quarter, but the Shorewomen quickly came back with three separate three-point shots from Prestianne.
The Spartans recovered a four-point lead, but junior Serena Pluta brought the Shorewomen within two points with 30 seconds left on the clock.
The Spartans ultimately secured the lead to bring the final score to 47-51.
Prestianne had a game-high of 16 points and a career-high of eight rebounds. Pluta had a game-best and personal-best of 10 rebounds during the game.
The Shorewomen shot 27% from the floor, 29% from three-point range, and 64% from the foul line. The Shorewomen have an overall record of 2–1. They will play again on Saturday, Nov. 20, against Franklin & Marshall College at 1 p.m. This will be their first Conference match.
Photo Courtesy of WC Athletics
Featured Photo Caption: Junior Andrea Prestinne dribbles across the court in a heated match.