Women's basketball tops McDaniel

After two losses to begin the season, the women’s basketball team has bounced back to win its last three games.

At Bryn Mawr before Thanksgiving, the Diplomats crushed the Owls, 92-39. The Dips then pulled out a 64-52 victory over Ursinus Tuesday in Lancaster before beating McDaniel 86-66 Saturday to continue the winning streak and improve their record to 3-2 (3-0 CC).      

“We have had a good start to our conference schedule with strong showings against Bryn Mawr and Ursinus,” said head coach Kirsten Richter. “We are working hard to continue improving and building on that foundation.”

The Diplomats are certainly building on this foundation, as their undefeated 3-0 Centennial Conference record puts them on track toward a potential playoff berth. However, making the playoffs is a feat that will only come with hard work and excellent team communication. 

“Each year the team has a different dynamic, with players stepping into larger roles, new leaders are emerging, and a new personality is made,” Richter said. “It is fun to help the team develop and come together.”

The Diplomats are indeed together this season, as four different players reached double figures in scoring against McDaniel. Near the end of the first half, the Diplomats went on a 15-0 run to extend the lead to 36-18 and effectively put the game out of reach. By halftime, F&M led 50-26. 

For the Diplomats, Colleen Bott ’13 had a career- and game-high 18 points. Alexa Barbush ’13 also excelled, posting 16 points, four rebounds, six assists and eight steals. Furthermore, Elizabeth Snyder ’13 also posted a well-rounded game with 15 points, four boards, five assists and two steals. Lastly, Kristina McCarthy ’14 also had double-digit scoring, with 14 points, and added seven rebounds. 

However, Richter said there are still improvements that need to be made. 

“We can always work on improving our team’s defense, our ball pressure, and our ability to bump cutters through the lane,” said Richter. “Offensively, we focus on improving our spacing and movement away from the ball.”

Some game highlights are that the Diplomats outrebounded McDaniel by a 46-31 margin. The Dips also tallied far more assists, putting up 22 assists to McDaniel’s eight. Overall, the Diplomats outplayed McDaniel in virtually every category. However, for the future the Dips are looking great. 

“Our two first-year players have added depth to our team and continue improving each day,” Richter said. 

The Dips will next play Wednesday at 6 p.m. when they travel to Gettysburg.