The weekend ended with mixed results for the women’s basketball team. Playing two games within 19 hours, the Yeowomen fell to the Olivet College Comets but managed to defeat the Kalamazoo College Hornets.

The second game of the weekend was a well-fought win and confidence boost before the team heads into their North Coast Athletic Conference games. The women came out strong against the Hornets and led 12–0 and finished the game with a 72–57 win.

“The Kalamazoo game was a good game for us. We executed our offense well and pushed through to the end to earn a victory,” said second-year Lindsey Bernhardt.

The team will play their first NCAC game against Denison University on December 4, and they have high hopes for the rest of the season. Their record throughout pre-NCAC play has been split favorably, and they will enter the NCAC competition with 5 wins and 3 losses. This record, however, is not necessarily indicative of future success in conference play.

“What we’ve done the last two and a half weeks is meaningless at this point,” said Head Coach Kerry Jenkins. He is instead focused on the games to come. Every conference game contributes to the team’s standing, and each win will give the Yeowomen a more favorable spot heading into the tournament.

The transition between non-conference and NCAC play can be difficult. Games at the NCAC level are more emotionally and physically grueling than early season games.

“These players know each other, and they play each other twice a year. There’s a certain hierarchy in the conference, and Oberlin is not supposed to challenge certain teams,” said Jenkins.

One of the team’s key players, senior forward Allison Gannon, suffered an ACL injury that has impacted the team’s play. The team has rebounded well from her injury, and the squad of dedicated athletes is determined to work harder despite the setback. The team boasts talented players, and both Jenkins and junior Christina Marquette cited the chemistry of the group as a source of support and success.

“We finally put all the pieces together,” said Marquette.

The competition at the NCAC level lends itself to a more demanding game — the difference between teams can often come down to the amount of communication between players. Oberlin’s squad defeated the Denison Big Red at the end of last season, and hope to replicate that result in its upcoming game.

“Denison has always been a great team and will push for the full 40 minutes of the game. I believe we can definitely beat them. We have the capability and talent to beat them; we just need to execute and stay focused,” noted Bernhardt. The Denison game is the last game before the Yeowomen take a brief hiatus. One of the unfortunate realities of a winter sport is the two-week break that can sometimes set the team back.

“It stops any momentum you have as a team. It’s almost as if we’re starting over after the break,” said Jenkins. The women train over the winter recess, but it can be difficult to maintain fitness while travelling and not having a team to train with.

After their break, the team will travel to Vermont to play Middlebury College. Soon after, the women will return to the midwest for important NCAC games. The team’s biggest upcoming goal is to get a home playoff game for the NCAC tournament, which will require a strong conference ranking.

“Other coaches have come up to me and said, ‘It’s obvious that you guys get along, and that’s reflected in your play,’” said Jenkins. He hopes that the players’ dedication and the team’s positive dynamic will help the Yeowomen defeat some of their more formidable conference opponents.