By Evelyn Lucado and Dominic Rapposelli
Opinion Editor and Sports Editor
Shorewomen basketball dominated Haverford College on Feb. 19 in their last away game of the regular season winning 59-41. Just days later on Feb. 22 they secured the fourth seed in the Centennial Conference playoffs with a 56-50 home win over Ursinus, setting up to host the first round of playoffs at home for the second straight season.
The Shorewomen took the lead early against Haverford, as junior center Kaitlyn Boggs scored only 28 seconds into the game with an assist from senior guard Kerry Kelliher. A late jumper from senior forward Avery Thomas helped the Shorewomen close the first quarter up 13-8.
The Shorewomen went into halftime leading 26-12, having doubled up the Fords on the scoreboard. Their defense continued to smother Haverford’s offense in the second half. In the third quarter, a key steal by senior forward Kiersten Rose led to a basket from junior guard Emma Robinson that pushed the lead to 21 points.
The Shorewomen held their largest advantage, 44-22, early in the fourth before the Fords attempted a late rally. However, a three-point play from freshman forward Maggie Lawrence with only two minutes remaining secured the win. Boggs led the way with 20 points and nine rebounds, while Kelliher contributed seven points, eight rebounds, and five assists.
“Our biggest strength is our defense and inside-out game that we have going on,” Rose said “We are preparing for their post players and their 3-point shooters and trying to keep their scoring as low as possible.”
This preparation paid off as the Shorwomen secured a win in the regular season finale against Ursinus College. In the previous meeting between these squads, the Bears bested WC on Jan. 11, 65-59.
Junior forward Abby Meredith put the Shorewomen on the board early with a free throw, followed by Thomas with the team’s first field goal. The teams remained neck-and-neck through the first quarter, moving into the second quarter tied 12-12. Boggs took over in the second quarter, scoring the first four points and reclaiming the lead for the visiting Shorewomen.
The Shorewomen outscored Ursinus 12-4 in the second quarter, taking a 24-16 halftime lead. Ursinus fought back in the third, cutting the deficit to only two points halfway through the quarter. However, Rose responded with back-to-back layups to strengthen their lead.
The fourth quarter saw the Shorewomen hold off multiple challenges. Kelliher made a crucial three-point play with just over seven minutes left to extend the lead to nine. Following this play, a fast-break layup from Boggs with two minutes remaining put the Shorewomen ahead by 10 points. Ursinus made a late push, but the Shorewomen held firm to clinch the 56-50 victory. Boggs again made a standout performance with 23 points and 9 rebounds, while Kelliher added an impressive 15 points and 9 rebounds.
“Everyone played well and contributed to the win, which made the difference for us in clinching a playoff spot,” Kelliher said. “Our strengths all year have been sharing the ball and helping each other on defense.”
Kelliher currently leads the Centennial Conference in total assists with 118, averaging 4.7 per game. The Shorewomen overall average 12.88 assists per game.
Following the victory, the Shorewomen earned the opportunity to host their second home playoff game in program history against the McDaniel College green terror on Feb. 22.
The contest was nail biting from the start, with neither team able to grab a lead of greater than four points through the first quarter. Lawrence grabbed two points before the quarter ended with a Shorewoman lead 14-12.
Meredith racked up 10 points in the second quarter, before McDaniel tried to rally in the final three minutes. With the score 24-21, WC grabbed four points to close the half 28-21.
The teams went back and forth through the second half, exchanging layups and free throws. However, a Green Terror three pointer landed perfectly to bring the visitors back into the contest.
The final blow came from Rose, who bumped the score up to 45-37 in favor of the Shorewomen. Rose took over the game early and continued for the full 40 minutes, managing a double double with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Kelliher also paved the way for the Shorewoman offense, with a team high 12 points, including a three pointer, and five assists.
McDaniel managed to come within five, but the Shorewomen held on and secured a historic home playoff win 45-40.
The Shorewomen remain in the hunt for a Centennial Conference Championship, with their next contest at Gettysburg College in a battle with the Bullets on Feb. 28.
Photo by Darius Kesey.
Photo Caption: The Shorewomen won their first home playoff game in program history over McDaniel to cap off a three game winning streak.