Bernell DorroughThe Washington University women’s basketball team enters its most crucial stretch of the season as it hosts two conference foes ranked in the national top 25. Sharing a three-way tie with both of this weekend’s opponents, the Bears need nothing less than two wins to have a strong claim for the conference championship.
On Friday the Bears will face 22nd-ranked Brandeis University, a team that Coach Nancy Fahey’s squad squeaked by just under a month ago by a mere six points. Two days later, the Bears will host a 14th-ranked New York University (NYU) squad that previously handed the team its first conference loss on the season.
The last time the Bears took on Brandeis, sophomore forward Kelly Manning poured in a team-high 21 points, leading her team to victory. Sophomore forward Danielle Beehler and current University Athletic Association (UAA) Athlete of the Week Leslie Hawley also scored in double figures to fend off a late Brandeis run.
Despite turning in a winning effort last time, the Bears have several areas of concern going into this weekend’s match-up. In the two teams’ previous game, Brandeis dominated second chance points 19-7 and finished the game with a 22-8 advantage in the offensive rebounds category. Additionally, Brandeis’ substitutes held a considerable 34-22 advantage in bench scoring.
In their last match-up against NYU, the Bears’ starting five struggled considerably in the scoring department. With only Hawley in double figures (19 points), the team’s other four starters combined for a meager ten points. While the Bears bench contributed considerably, the team couldn’t overcome its starters’ futilities and eventually lost by ten.
Although the Bears outperformed NYU in points off turnovers, points in the paint, second chance points, and bench points, they still couldn’t get the ball to fall through the hoop. In order to have a chance against one of the conference’s elite teams, the Bears will need to rebound more convincingly and get solid performances from their starters.
If last weekend’s performances are any indicator of how the Bears will perform this weekend, Coach Fahey’s team should have the advantage. Winning its last two road match-ups by an average of 21 points, the Bears will be looking to ride the momentum of Hawley to a first-place conference standing. Having recently notched a career-high 28 points against Emory, she appears to be on a roll.
If the Bears are fortunate to escape this weekend with two more conference victories under their belt, they should be able to control their own destiny. With one last road game against the University of Chicago, the team should be able to have its way. Currently sitting with a 9-13 (4-7 UAA) record, Chicago could be the only thing standing between the Bears and a conference title.