Women’s basketball hosts Invitational
by John Metcalf
The women’s basketball season kicked off during break and the team is now 1-2 in the young season. The team began the season by hosting the Earlham Invitational on Nov. 20 and 21.
The lady Quakers split their two games, losing to Franklin College 54-69 but coming back the next day to win a thriller against Manchester College 67-62.
The night before the ladies went home for Thanksgiving break, they traveled to Bluffton University to play their first road game of the season, losing a nail-biter to the lady Beavers 75-79.
Against Bluffton University the lady Quakers jumped out to an 11-3 lead to start off the game. In the first half the Quakers generally held a 10-point margin until the few remaining minutes, and with two minutes remaining the contest was tied at 34. Going into halftime the lady Quakers held a 38-35 lead.
With eight minutes left in the game the lady Beavers built a lead of 62-49. The lady Quakers fought back to come as close as three points in the game with five seconds left.
Sophomore guard Nikki Darrett led the way with 17 points and senior guard Katy Buda added 12 points. Freshman forward Michelle Miranda added 11 points while sophomore guard Princess Darnell chipped in with 10 points.
Earlham Invitational brings one loss, one win for Women’s basketball
The lady Quakers dropped their first game of the season 69-54 in the first game of the Earlham Invitational. In the game the lady Quakers had two ladies in double figures with help from freshman Charvonne Long’s double-double: 14 points and 14 rebounds. Buda chipped in with 13 points.
In the final game of the Earlham Invitational against Manchester, the lady Quakers picked up their first win of the season in overtime, 67-62. Darrett led the way with 14 points, seven rebounds and seven assists while sophomore guard Starr Gary chipped in with 13 points. A pair of freshman had double digit points with Miranda tossing in 12 and freshman guard Jessica Wooden adding 11.
Gary said, “I am very proud of all the girls. We never gave up. We kept fighting to the end and we pulled out a big victory.”
Buda echoed Gary’s statements by saying, “This year we have been very competitive in every game. We just need to learn to close out games but that will come with experience.”
Darrett, Buda honored by Earlham as athletes of the week
With their efforts, Darrett and Buda were both been named Earlham athletes of the week in the past two weeks. Darrett received the honor the week of Nov. 23 after she posted 14 points, seven rebounds and seven assists. On Monday, Nov. 30, Buda received the same honor after scoring 12 points, all on 3-pointers (4-5), along with two assists.
Earlham faces Oberlin’s Yeomen while figuring out the best starting line-up
The team has played three teams in the Heartland Conference, which Earlham will be joining next year. The lady Quakers will start their last season in the NCAC tomorrow against Oberlin College with the tip-off coming at 1 p.m. at Schuckman Court.
Last year when the lady Quakers faced the lady Yeomen, Earlham lost both decisions by a total of only five points. In the first contest at Earlham, the score was 76-73 and in the second contest was 52-50. This year’s team has much depth and youth with seven freshmen along with the return of Gary, who hasn’t played the last two years. So far, the team has experimented with three different starting line-ups in each game while trying to figure out the right combination of girls out on the court that puts them in the best chance to win.
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