The women’s basketball team is riding a seven-game win streak into the UCAA Tournament after a pair of home victories over Skidmore and Union this weekend.
RPI had something of a scare against the Thoroughbreds, who ended the season tied with Vassar for last in the conference at 2-12. The Red Hawks came out very flat, allowing Skidmore to set a slower pace than Rensselaer fans are used to seeing. This neutralized the Thoroughbreds’ biggest disadvantage—their limited bench—and emphasized their main advantage, greater size. RPI was forced into several bad shots, and Skidmore went nearly 50 percent from the field to go to the locker room up by five points.
When asked if he had read his players the riot act at halftime, RPI Head Coach John Greene replied simply, “No. They know what they have to do.”
However, the Red Hawks’ performance remained lackluster in the second half as their shooting percentage dropped below 30 percent. The defense, however, picked things up a bit, holding Skidmore to only eight buckets and three free throws for the half. Rensselaer drew a large number of fouls and hit 10 of 15 shots from the charity stripe, and that proved to be the difference—the Red Hawks outscored the Throughbreds 28-18 in the second half to eke out a 56-51 win.
Saturday’s match against Union was a much better game for RPI. The Red Hawks blew the Dutchwomen away from the opening tip, nailing 18 of 31 field goals in the first half to open up a 41-24 halftime lead. The pace picked up in the second half, and Rensselaer’s hot hands cooled off a bit as Union attempted to mount a rally. The Dutchwomen could not consistently hit their shots, though, leading to an easy 75-59 Red Hawk victory.
Both RPI and Union will play in Canton this weekend at the UCAA Tournament. The second-seeded Red Hawks will play No. 3 ranked William Smith on Friday at 6 pm—RPI has beaten the Herons twice previously this season. No. 4 Union will play No. 1 St. Lawrence at 8 pm, and the winners will play for the UCAA championship—and the automatic bid to the NCAA tournament that goes with it—Saturday at 4 pm.
