Despite jumping out to an early 15-point lead, the Rensselaer women’s basketball team fell 75-71 to the host team, Stevens Institute of Technology, in the championship game of the Stevens Tech. Tournament on November 20. Kaitlyn Saunders, who was named Liberty League Forward of the Week, scored 30 points in the loss for the Red Hawks.
“Everyone, players and coaches, were frustrated after the game,” Rensselaer Head Coach John Greene said. “We felt like we beat ourselves.”
Stevens outscored RPI 34-28 in the second half to complete the comeback and steal the championship. The Ducks relied heavily on Jenna Gambino, Jamie Mehnert, and Jackie Pannell for the majority of their scoring. Gambino led the winners with 24 points while Mehnert and Pannell chipped in with 16 and 13, respectively.
The Red Hawks produced a much more balanced scoring attack as nine of the team’s 10 players found the basket. Outside of Saunders’ 30, not a single Rensselaer player reached double digits. Tory Lyons tallied eight, and Brittney O’Neal and Destiny Eagles scored seven apiece.
Stevens substantially out-shot the Red Hawks. The Ducks’ 57.4 field goal percentage proved to be the difference maker in the tight contest. Stevens got better looks at the basket all day. Rensselaer shot a mediocre 41.5 percent from the field. According to Greene the Red Hawks settled for to many long-range shots, especially after Stevens went to a zone defense.
“We didn’t capitalize on some great opportunities and we failed to get enough inside touches,” Greene said. “We are spending a lot of time on our zone offense since we expect to see a lot of it this season.”
However, the championship game versus Stevens may have well been the Red Hawks’ first real game of the season after RPI embarrassed John Jay 88-13. The 75 point route was never close as Rensselaer allowed no field goals and just two points in the entire first half.
In the second session the Red Hawks had a defensive breakdown of sorts, allowing John Jay to actually reach double digits. Saunders and Lyons paced RPI with 17 and 12, respectively. RPI combined to grab 31 steals and the Red Hawks pressure defense forced John Jay to commit a ridiculous 44 turnovers.
“I didn’t expect us to dominate the way did,” admitted Greene. “We played very well defensively, and the freshmen played well in their first game.”
RPI fell to 1-2 on the season losing in overtime on the road to Williams 87-75. Eagles, who finished just three assists shy of a triple-double, was stellar in the contest, scoring 23 points, grabbing 10 boards, and handing out seven assists.
RPI will wrap up their week this Saturday when the team travels to Middletown, Conn. to take Wesleyan at 2 pm. RPI will play Oswego State Tuesday at 7 pm, in Robinson Gymnasium in their home opener.
