The women’s basketball team split last weekend with a win and a loss. Starting Friday night at home, the Red Hawks tipped off against the Hamilton College Continentals in a tough Liberty League matchup.
From the beginning, the game looked grim. The visiting Continentals played solid defense throughout the game and forced the Red Hawks to commit several turnovers. However, the Continentals also followed up their solid defense with 66.7 percent shooting from the floor. By halftime, RPI trailed Hamilton by 14 points, but after the break it came out and went on a 7-0 run to bring the game within seven. However, Hamilton quickly answered, maintaining its lead for the rest of the game.
Although Hamilton won 64-60 when time expired, RPI still pulled to within four points by the end, outscoring the Continentals 41-31 in the second half.
Notably, RPI had the top scorer, as senior forward Elizabeth Barker led all shooters, netting 17 points and retrieving 11 rebounds. Additionally, freshman Sarah Wetmore had nine points on the game, and seniors Whitney Coleman and Caitlyn Charest had eight points apiece.
Freshman Laura Easterling summed it up: “Like in the Union [College] game, we were down at halftime and had trouble coming back.” After the game, RPI fell to 13-5 on the season and 5-3 in the Liberty League, while Hamilton moved up to 11-7 overall and 4-4 in the conference.
The next day was completely different for Rensselaer. Coming off a close loss, the Red Hawks played like they were determined to win against the William Smith College Herons at home. “We really buckled down in practices during the week,” said Wetmore.
The extra focus must have worked, because the team came out strong against William Smith. Three Red Hawks reached double digits: Charest, Wetmore, and Coleman had 11, 14, and 19 points, respectively. Barker, like the day before, pulled down a game-high 12 rebounds.
With a remarkable effort by the Red Hawks’ offense and defense, RPI led 54-43 with 6:32 remaining in the game. In the last few minutes RPI continued to build its lead and sealed the game, 69-60.
The win marks the first time since the 2003–04 season that the Red Hawks swept the Herons in the regular season
After the loss, the Herons dropped to 11-9 on the season and 5-4 in the Liberty League. Rensselaer, however, moved up to 14-5 on the season and 6-3 in the conference, as it now gears up to play its close rivals and the leader in the Liberty League, Union College. The games are sure to be big, as RPI hosts Union and Skidmore College, this Friday and Saturday, respectively. The Red Hawks also host Vassar College on Tuesday.
