The women’s basketball team (7-13 overall, 2-7 Patriot League) put an end to its losing streak with an upset win at American University (8-12 overall, 6-3 Patriot League) after falling Sunday to Boston University (8-14 overall, 3-6 Patriot League).
Since the start of the conference campaign, it has been far from smooth sailing. The team was on a seven-game losing streak after the loss to Boston.
Against Boston, the Leopards jumped ahead from the start. Junior guard Abby Antognoli hit back-to-back buckets to give Lafayette an early 5-0 lead. However, this lead didn’t last long, with the Terriers going on to record 10 unanswered points.
The score sat at 10 apiece after 10 minutes of action, with both teams struggling to find a bucket. Eventually, Boston pulled away, leading 24-17 at halftime.
In the early stages of the second half, Boston continued to add to its lead, increasing the gap to 11 points courtesy of a series of three-pointers. The Leopards responded, with Antognoli once again hitting a three, cutting the deficit to a mere eight points.
Despite their efforts, including senior forward Kayla Drummond recording back-to-back double-digit point games in Patriot League play, the Terriers would continue to pull away. With Lafayette only shooting 26.3 percent from the field, they struggled to come back, with the game finishing 51-39 to Boston.
Notwithstanding its record, Lafayette does boast some interesting league statistics, recording the second-most three-pointers this season and averaging 5.8 per game. The Leopards also have the fourth-highest league attendance, averaging 531 spectators every home game.
The team then traveled to Washington, D.C, on Wednesday to face the Eagles of American University. In a tight start to the first quarter, the Leopards trailed by merely a bucket. What seemed like a repeat of last Saturday was quickly turned around, with the Leopards shooting 58.33 percent from the field to secure a 29-25 lead at the half.
The second half once again saw Drummond shine, draining numerous important buckets to take the lead. This advantage continued into the final quarter when the Leopards fought off the Eagles’ attack to secure their second win of Patriot League play.
“Although we’ve been losing games, we know that we still have so much season left to turn things around,” junior guard Kylie Favours wrote in an email. “We’re not discouraged. Instead, we’re using it to fuel us to get the results we want.”
Drummond continued her fine league form, finishing with 12 points, while senior guard Makayla Andrew dished four assists.
With nine games remaining in the Patriot League season, the Leopards will look to add more to the win column. The team returns to Kirby Sports Center for the National Girls and Women in Sports Day game against Army at 2 pm.
“With the rest of patriot league play, I just want to continue to be a vocal leader and do what I can with my team,” Favours wrote. “Our goal is to turn this season around, shock people, and prove that we shouldn’t be in last place in this league.”
An additional member of the women’s basketball team did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
Correction 2/3/2024: A previous version of this article misattributed two quotes to Kayla Drummond. Junior guard Kylie Favours wrote the email.
