By Dominic Rapposelli
Sports Editor
Centennial Conference action is fully underway for Washington College women’s basketball as they advance to 4-3 in Conference play, and 11-6 overall following a hard-fought battle over Haverford College, 65-61. Within the conference, the Shorewomen are fourth overall out of 11 programs, situating them inside the six team playoff bracket if the season ended today.
The Shorewomen are in the midst of a five game winning streak, with three of them being critical wins over Centennial opponents. The most recent victory was a true four-quarter battle over the Haverford Fords.
A strong first period outing saw the Shorewomen put up 18 points. Sophomore guard Peyton Berger and freshman forward Sarah Oleary sunk three-pointers. The Shorewomen continued the effort into the intermission, leading 33-20 at the break.
The Fords would come out of the break swinging, putting up chunks of unanswered points until the very end of the third stanza of play. At the end of the quarter, the Shorewomen capitalized on a fast break opportunity courtesy of two points from freshman forward Maggie Lawrence. The score featured an assist from senior guard Karry Kelliher, who continues to dish out a team high 90 assists.
The fourth quarter began with a 43-39 WC advantage. The opposing teams exchanged scores, but the Shorewomen always had an answer. These responses often came by way of junior forward Abby Meredith, who had eight of her 15 points in the final quarter.
WC emerged on top, in part due to an expansive production by their offense with nine different players adding points, constantly moving playmakers on and off the court without missing a beat.
“Making all the different lineups work is just being able to trust each other and know that whoever walks out on the court will do their job and what they’re supposed to do to help our team win,” Berger said.
The Shorewomen boast the number one defense in the Centennial, holding opponents to just 48.5 points per game. WC also capitalizes on extra possessions courtesy of junior guard Emma Robinson and senior forward Kiersten Rose, who are fourth and fifth respectively in total rebounds this season. Robinson added 13 against Haverford, while Rose added 10 in the outing.
Going forward, the Shorewomen have back-to-back road games, including a game at Bryn Mawr College for their second match of the season against the Owls, who WC handled 60-41 on Jan. 15.
The campaign continues for WC to reach their fourth straight postseason after being picked sixth in the preseason poll this year and picked to miss the playoffs last season.
“What helps keep the momentum up for us is the fact that we still have something to prove to our conference. They still see us as an underdog, not a threat, so this win streak is keeping the momentum going for us,” Berger said.
Photo by Darius Kesey.
Photo Caption: Shorewomen have won their fifth straight win boasting the top defense in the Centennial Conference