By Joseph Caruso
Sports Editor
The College’s women’s basketball team went 2-1 this week, including wins over Rowan and Montclair State. The Lions have now won seven of their last eight games in the New Jersey Athletic Conference.
Last Wednesday, Feb. 11 the College’s team looked to extend their five game win streak, as they hosted Rowan in Packer Hall.
The game was as close as can be, with both teams tied after the first quarter, and the College holding just a two point lead at the halftime break. Junior Grace Kowalski exploded in the second quarter, scoring 16 of her game-high 25 points for the Lions in a row, single-handedly keeping the College in front in the first half.
Sophomores Brooke McFadden and Amanda Baylock each cracked double-digits for the Lions, scoring 14 and 11 points respectively. A late run that saw the College score eight unanswered points proved too much for Rowan, as the College took their sixth in a row, beating the Profs 69-62.
Kowalski’s 25 points is a season high for her, as the two-time All-NJAC player looks to build confidence heading into the playoffs.
The College traveled to face off against New Jersey City University to try and extend their win streak to seven games, but was up for a tough test. In a sluggish start, the College scored just 11 points in the second quarter and trailed at halftime, 40-36.
The Lion defense stymied NJCU in the third quarter, holding them to a measly eight points, however, the College only scored 12 of their own in a low scoring third period. Nonetheless, the game was tied heading into the final ten minutes.
Kowalski had a stellar game yet again, leading the team with 17 points in an otherwise low scoring affair. However, a costly turnover from the junior led to a game winner from the home team, as the College lost their first game in nearly a month, 66-65.
Looking to get back in the win column, the Lions hosted Montclair State tonight in the first game of a double-header, the latter of which saw the men take down the No. 1 team in the country.
In the final game of the regular season, the College came out playing angry, holding a double-digit lead after the first quarter, where the Lions came out of the gate on a 15-3 run.
Montclair State, who came into the day with a better record than the Lions, continued to claw their way back into the game, with a huge third quarter that saw them outscore the College 19-12, to cut the deficit to just five points with the final quarter remaining.
The Lions quickly hit back, going on a 10-2 run to start the fourth quarter, distancing themselves from the Red Hawks once and for all, winning 72-60. It was an inspiring performance from senior Katie Fricker who had a 13-point, 13-rebound double-double in the victory.
The College finishes their regular season winning seven of their last eight games, concluding one of the best single-season turnarounds in school history, having a final record of 15-10 after starting 0-6.
The College looks ahead to the NJAC Tournament, where they hold the two seed, and will face off against in the semifinals on Tuesday, Feb. 24, at Packer Hall.
