Not even the threat of a major snowstorm could prevent the women’s basketball team from giving it their all this past week. Their game against New Jersey City University was postponed until Monday, Feb. 11, but they were able to secure a win earlier in the week against Rowan University.
The game began with some back and forth action between the two teams, without one really pulling ahead of the other too much. In the last minutes of the first half, however, the Lions went on a ferocious 11-0 run, which put them at 32-23 at the half. Junior guard Colleen Duffy alone had five points in this run.
The College could not have done this without their incredible defense holding off the home team until the very end.
The second half of the game was very similar to the first, showcasing the Lions’ stellar play. Though their opponents scored the first points of the second half, the Lions came back and put them in their place. The College scored 15 of the next 17 points and fought hard for a 47-27 lead.
With their strong defense, the College was able to run its score to 75-46 and beat Rowan for the second time this season, scoring at least 70 points each of those games.
Standout performances were given by sophomore forward Jessica Goldbach, junior guard Kelly Roddy and sophomore guard Kelly Coughlin. Goldbach had a career high 18 points while Roddy and Coughlin added 12 and 10, respectively.
This was a crucial win for the Lions because it gave them homecourt advantage when they begin the NJAC Tournament. Playoff position is still something the team is fighting for, with two Conference games left in the regular season, so there could be multiple home games for the College.
The Lions are currently in second place, tied with William Paterson University and Montclair State University.
The team feels strong going into their final two games of regular season play. The thrill of the conference has propelled them to five wins in their past seven games. They have the momentum to carry them through to the end.
“We definitely have a lot of confidence going into the final stretch of the season before playoffs start,” Roddy said. “I see so much potential in this team and our goal from the beginning has been to win the NJAC Championship. It doesn’t matter what our record is at the end of the regular season or where we get placed in the playoff bracket. I believe we have a team of unselfish players, which gives us so much chemistry on the court and that is what can take us further than any team out there.”
And a team of unselfish players like this one might be the key to that coveted conference championship.
The team had a dominating win on Monday, Feb. 11 against New Jersey City University, in which they blew the competition out of the water by a score of 66-31.
This week, the Lions take on Montclair State University on Wednesday, Feb. 13 at 6 p.m.
