Yeowomen Swamp Gators

Rose Stoloff, Staff Writer

Building off of its momentum from earlier in the week, the women’s basketball team delivered an impressive performance last Saturday, defeating Allegheny College 58–47 to secure a sixth win for the season.

Despite a sluggish start that resulted in a quick seven-point lead for Allegheny, the Yeowomen quickly pulled themselves together and managed to tie the game 9–9 13 minutes in. Sophomore Christina Marquette, who has been essential to the Yeowomen’s success this season, led the charge, scoring the first eight points for the team. She continued to excel throughout the game and ended with an impressive collection of 20 points, nine rebounds, six steals and four assists.

The second half of the game proved even more fruitful for Oberlin. The team began strong and maintained a steady lead throughout the half, leading by as much as 19 points at one point.

First-year Caroline Hamilton, who sprung off the bench to light a fuse under the team’s already steady surge, had a particularly strong game. In her mere 19 minutes of play, Hamilton certainly proved her worth, scoring 15 points and knocking down five out of five three-point shots.

The win on Saturday was the second conference win for the Yeowomen who now have a 2–1 record in the North Coast Athletic Conference and a 6–4 overall record for the season.

Unfortunately, despite a valiant effort, the Yeowomen were not able to repeat their success on Monday night in their game against Olivet College. Olivet played a strong game that left Oberlin scrambling to catch up. Though there were many outstanding individual performances, they were not enough to land the team another victory.

Once again, Oberlin was slow to get going and allowed Olivet to gain a 16-point lead in the first nine minutes of play. Marquette, accompanied by junior Lillian Jahan, again led a compelling battle to make up for the loss. Marquette accumulated 17 points throughout the half and Jahan put up an impressive 11. Despite the Yeowomen’s efforts, Olivet continued to play strong and ended the half with an 18-point lead over the Yeowomen.

Oberlin did not lose hope and began the second half with vigor. Jahan and junior Allison Gannon scored back-to-back three-pointers while Marquette delivered yet another exhilarating performance, ultimately scoring four three-point shots. With only 10 minutes left in the half, the Yeowomen trailed by just six points.

Olivet did not let up its fight and built a daunting lead to which the Yeowomen, despite tremendous sweat and will, could not catch up. Oberlin ended the game down, with a score of 59–76.

Fortunately, the Yeowomen still have a winning record this season of 6–5. After a three-week holiday vacation, the team will return to the court in January. The Yeowomen hope to take down Adrian College in their first game of the new year on Jan. 2 at home.