The women’s basketball team took on a pair of Patriot League opponents, coming up short against Army West Point on Saturday afternoon and Loyola Maryland University on Wednesday night.
Saturday’s matchup against Army (10-3 Patriot League, 19-5 overall) saw the Leopards (4-9 Patriot League, 8-16 overall) get off to a hot start. Sophomore guard Talia Zurinskas led the way with a flurry of gorgeous dimes and a late quarter three-ball to put the Maroon and White up 19-11.
“I feel like in the beginning of the game, we definitely were ready for the punch,” Zurinskas said.
The Midshipmen flipped the script in the second, tearing up the court from downtown on a seven-of-10 three-point outing in the quarter, putting up a whopping 27 points in the frame.
“We couldn’t locate the shooters,” Zurinskas said, as the Maroon and White surrendered four 3-pointers to Army’s senior guard Reese Ericson.
For a Leopard team without senior guard Sauda Ntaconayigize, junior forward Tasha Chudy and junior guard Teresa Kiewiet out of the lineup for the majority of the game with a knee injury, it was an inexperienced bunch that saw the floor, with four of the Leopards’ five freshmen getting significant playing time.
“It’s hard when you’re playing with a bunch of underclassmen,” Zurinskas said. “It’s definitely tough, and it hurts a little bit right now, but it’s really gonna help us moving forward.”
Striking back in the third quarter, the Leopards quickly tied the game behind an assist inside from freshman guard Emma Heaney to freshman forward Maddison Krug, and a drive-and-kick dish from Zurinskas to junior guard Rosie Scognamiglio from deep range, tying the game at 38-38.
“I needed to definitely open up the floor a little bit, and it just helps getting some points on the board,” said Scognamiglio, who finished the game 3-of-5 from downtown. “It was nice to see them go in finally.”
Scognamiglio added another 3-pointer shortly after, but Army’s swarming defense kept the Leopards at bay, going into the fourth quarter up 50-43.
The fourth quarter saw Kiewiet re-enter the lineup despite her injury, but it wasn’t enough to thwart the Midshipmen, who quickly rallied to a double-digit lead.
“Hustle is really what sets a team from winning and losing,” Heaney said. “At some points, crucial points, we kind of lacked, which led to them getting second chance opportunities.”
First-years continued to provide a punch for the Pards, as Krug, freshman guards Haylie Adamski and Haley Poser scored the only seven points in the final quarter, as the Leopards fell 62-50.
Looking for another chance at the win column, the Leopards took on Loyola (7-6 Patriot League, 11-13 overall), who they defeated in early January 63-52.
However, Wednesday’s contest saw the Maroon and White again go into battle shorthanded with only a seven-man rotation.
Both teams traded blows in a back-and-forth opening half, as the Leopards entered halftime up 29-28. Boasting a zone defense, the Leopards looked to limit the Greyhounds interior looks.
“I thought it was pretty effective in the first half, but they were able to swing the ball,” Kiewiet said. “We didn’t bring quite enough ball pressure, and they started knocking down threes.”
Loyola took control from downtown, converting on four 3-pointers in the third quarter, taking a 49-44 lead into the final frame. Similar to Saturday’s contest, the Leopards could not quite get over the hump, cutting the deficit to five, but getting no closer than that.
Down seven in the closing seconds, instead of overcoming the odds, the Leopards gave up four consecutive offensive rebounds — three of which were off of free throws — sealing the game 65-58.
“I think it was a little lack of communication, and I also think that they just wanted the ball more in certain possessions,” Krug said.
The Leopards get a chance to avenge their January loss to Lehigh University (9-4 Patriot League, 13-10 overall), taking on their rivals at home on Saturday.