The Oberlin women’s basketball team got off to a strong start last weekend as they handily trounced the Franciscan University Barons and the Geneva College Golden Tornadoes.

In the first two games of the 2013-14 season, the Yeowomen put their new fast-paced offense to work with great success, defeating their opponents by a combined score of 190–127.

Two games into the season, the Yeowomen have scored more combined points than in any other two game span over the last five seasons.

In their first contest against the Barons, the Yeowomen jumped to a 49–34 lead at the half with the help of superb play from the team’s bench, which finished the night with 37 points. The Oberlin attack was well-balanced, with five players scoring double-digits, though junior Christina Marquette led the team with a game-high 23 points in the win.

Oberlin was deadly from all over the floor, making 45 percent of their shots and 90 percent of their free-throws. The Barons were thus forced to pick their poison; they couldn’t give the Yeowomen open shots, but when they contested a shot and fouled, it was as good as giving up two points.

After netting 49 more points in the second half, the ladies set a single game high for points in a game under Head Coach Kerry Jenkins, finishing the night with a 98–64 win.

The second game against the Golden Tornadoes was an equally dominating performance for the Yeowomen.

Lead by senior Allison Gannon’s double-double of 14 points and 11 rebounds and sophomore Lindsey Bernhardt’s 19 points and six assists, the Yeowomen cruised to a 92–63 victory.

“We weren’t hitting our outside shots as well at the start [of the game],” said Gannon. “That allowed us to emphasize getting the ball inside where I could get some easy buckets.”

The bench again came through with a big game, outscoring Geneva’s 40–20.

The defense was also working for the Yeowomen as they forced 22 turnovers, converting them into 35 points.

Though the final score was a lopsided victory in the Yeowomen’s favor, the game was close until Oberlin went on a 10–2 run with three minutes to go in the first half to enter halftime with a 38–29 lead.

Geneva tried to mount a comeback in the second half, but the scorching hot Yeowomen shot 60.6 percent from the field in the second half, sealing the team’s second win in as many games.

It is too early in the season to say that this scoring will continue, but it’s hard not to be impressed with how they’ve performed thus far.

“We are coming together really well as a unit,” said senior Lillian Jahan. “Last year we struggled to get scoring production outside of two to three of our players, but this weekend we had offensive production from everyone — whether that was scoring, rebounding or getting assists.”

With seven of eleven players on the roster being first or second-years, the Yeowomen are young, but talent is abundant. The team will look to continue their strong play, as they seek to avenge some of their close losses from last season.

They are away for the next three games in Michigan and Pennsylvania, until they open at home on Nov. 26 against the Heidelberg University Student Princes at 8 p.m.