The RPI women’s basketball team has been rolling as of late, flying through the middle portion of their schedule with eight consecutive wins and nine in their last twelve games. As the Red Hawks kicked off this weekend on Friday, it looked like it would be more of the same as they shed the Golden Knights of Clarkson for another victory. However, a loss against St. Lawrence the very next day would see their streak come to an end, but the women are still in good shape heading into the latter stages of their season.
Versus Clarkson, the first half was full of action as well as various lead changes. The Golden Knights went ahead by a slim margin in the game’s early minutes, but RPI countered with a 7-0 run to snatch back the lead. Clarkson would then tie the game thanks to a run of its own. However, the Red Hawks closed out the half with eight straight points and took a 27-19 lead into halftime.
In the second half, the RPI offense looked very solid and balanced, utilizing an inside game for a great deal of high-percentage shots. Rensselaer held onto a double-digit lead for the majority of the half, and went up by as much as 15 at one point. Clarkson, though, would fight back in the tail end of the contest, and thanks to a 12-3 run the Golden Knights were able to narrow the margin to just six with one minute remaining on the game clock.
Solid free-throw shooting, however, sealed the deal for RPI, as the women knocked down six in the game’s waning moments to win by a final score of 57-47.
Sophomore Whitney Coleman led the Red Hawk attack with 12 points. Elizabeth Barker, also a sophomore, had a solid night with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Clarkson was paced by Monica Thomas and Vanessa Westcott who both tallied nine.
When Rensselaer hit the court again on Saturday it would be a difficult match-up with a St. Lawrence team that came into the game with an overall record of 14-1. The first half was full of back-and-forth action with multiple lead changes; neither team was able to shed the grip of the other. The largest lead was five by the home-standing Saints, but headed into the half RPI was down just three, 30-27.
In the second half it was more of the same. The Red Hawks were able to cut down an early eight-point deficit and remain within striking distance for the game’s entirety. Rensselaer grabbed the lead at the 2:47 mark, 55-54, but would not be able to hold on. In fact, they were unable to score again, falling behind 58-55, the game’s final score, on four free-throws that St. Lawrence was able to knock down as the game clock wound down.
Senior Destany Eagles tallied 11 points as well as four steals. Sophomore Caityln Charest, senior Kristi Baranowski, and Coleman each scored 10 in the loss. The Saints were led by Jamie Wolff who had 15 points, and Katie Palmer who scored 12 and grabbed 11 rebounds.
The Red Hawks will look to get another streak going and improve on their 11-5 record when they return to the court this Friday and Saturday with home games against Hamilton and William Smith.
