By Dominic Rapposelli
Business and Distribution Manager
Washington College Shoremen basketball was off to a 2-0 start in the early days of their season. Now, the team sits at 2-3 after dropping their last three games in close fashion.
The first loss for the shoremen came at Brynn Athyn, where the team fell by seven points 76-69. After taking a brief lead in the second half, the Lions retook the lead, due in large part to a 10-0 run by the home squad.
In their next matchup hosting the Shenandoah Hornets, the Shoremen did not have a player score over 20 points for the second time. The Hornets stung fast as they took a 30-18 lead into the break and did not look back en route to a 68-49 loss.
The Shoremen fell 68-53 against the Haverford Fords, the team’s first Centennial Conference opponent. The conference rivals went into the halfway mark tied at 26. A pair of runs by the Fords (11-2, 12-2 respectively) late in the second half put them ahead for good as the Shoremen suffered their third straight loss.
Through this point in the season, key contributors stepped up for the Shoremen, including senior guard Kedrick Frink and junior guard Paul Rodolf. Frink already hit the century mark in points this season, and Rodolf added 65 of points his own. The duo amassed just over half of the points for WC in an impressive start.
“It’s an honor to be a part of this team and it is fulfilling to be able to make a difference on both ends of the floor and help build WAC basketball into a successful program,” Rodolf said.
For Frink, his success is attributed to his time spent preparing not just himself, but the team for games.
“For my teammates and I, preparation starts in practice and during our free time. For me, it all starts with my mindset. I watch a lot of film and I study my opponents,” Frink said, “I encourage my teammates, and when we feed off of each other’s energy, we are more successful.”
The team already amassed more than 60% of their total wins from last season, making improvements and continuing to grow on the court. According to Frink, the standard is what has changed for this squad.
“Coach Begly and Coach King are doing a great job preparing us to be better individuals on the court as well as in the community. Their dedication and effort is just as important and the new energy and coaching style has been great,” Frink said.
Moving forward, the Shoremen have foes in eleventh ranked Swarthmore, Gettysburg, and McDaniel consecutively. With conference play picking up, these games become important for playoffs later this season.
“Our goal as a team is to make the playoffs. We are going to do that by taking everything one day at a time. Giving our entire attention each day, each practice, and each game,” junior forward Precieux Tshibangu said.
The Shoremen travel to Swarthmore to take on the eleventh ranked Garnet on Tuesday, Nov. 28 before returning home on Saturday, December 2 to host the Gettysburg Bullets at 3 p.m.
Photo Caption: Guard Kedrick Frink goes in for a layup in win over Galludet.
Photo courtesy of WC Athletics.