Sports
W. Basketball needs road wins to keep NESCAC playoff hopes alive
By Levi Lorenzo ’19
February 4, 2016
Tags sports
The Hamilton College women’s basketball team heads into its critical final four-game stretch of the season amid of a tight playoff race. After going 1-5 in their first six NESCAC games, the Continentals sit in ninth place and need to step it up in their final four games, all against NESCAC opponents, to move up into the top eight in the conference and secure a playoff spot.
The Continentals are coming off a 62-47 win over SUNY Cobleskill on Monday night in which they were paced by Sam Graber ’16 and her 19-point performance. Joining Graber with double-digit point totals in the game was fellow backcourt starter Carly Gruenberg ’16 and swingman Lauren Getman ’18. There is little time to celebrate this win, however, as the Continentals travel to Brunswick, M.N. for a critical Friday night contest with Bowdoin College. Bowdoin sits fourth in the NESCAC with a league record of 4-2 and an overall record of 15-5. Hamilton and Bowdoin have one common non-conference opponent, Clarkson, which defeated Hamilton but lost to Bowdoin. In terms of common opponents within the NESCAC, Bowdoin has defeated Bates twice and Williams once and lost Tufts; Hamilton was handed losses by all three of these schools. Hamilton then has a quick turn around and plays at Colby on Saturday. The Mules are 3-3 in conference, 11-8 overall, and holds victories against Bates and Williams but a loss to Tufts.
Hamilton has grown as a team over the course of the season. Head Coach Michelle Collins remarked, “our young team has made strides in our recent games to compete for the entire game…Lately, our team has understood how important it is to have the next play mentality and to focus on getting better every day and every game.” These skills will be crucial during the two games this weekend, which could determine Hamilton’s playoff fate. Losing both would almost seal the Continentals fate. A winless weekend along with a Bates win over either Amherst, a team that is 6-0 in the NESCAC, or Trinity, 0-6 in conference play, would eliminate the Continentals from postseason contention. One win might be enough to stave off elimination, but the Continentals will need some help. Coming out of this weekend with two wins would provide a huge boost for the team’s playoff prospects. If the Continentals can survive the season’s penultimate weekend, they will set up a critical final weekend, in which last-place Trinity and first-place Amherst come to Clinton.
Though the conference wins have not been there, Hamilton is getting closer to a breakthrough. While each of their first three conference losses came by double-digits, including a pair of ugly losses to Connecticut College (79-54) and Tufts (66-39), the Continentals have since rebounded to give Williams and Middlebury much more competitive games. The latter loss was a 75-65 road overtime defeat, the closest Hamilton has come to earning a conference win away from home.
Coach Collins assessed the playoff chase and her team’s prospects, saying, “It certainly is a tight race for the playoffs in the NESCACs. Currently, it looks like we will have to win two of our final four games to make the playoffs this season. With our overtime loss at Middlebury, I thought we improved in some areas of our game. Each day we stress how important the ‘little things’ are (setting good screens, blocking out, quick defensive rotations etc) in order for success. We also have stressed being more disciplined in everything we do on the court. Having lost several (five) players before the season even stared to injuries or transfer, it has made this year challenging. In most areas, we are young and inexperienced. However, we have made strides each day and each game to improve in certain areas, whether, mental or skill.”
The Continentals are working hard on specific areas of their game to prepare for this tough final stretch. Coach Collins asserted that, “It is crucial to our future success that we distribute the ball better and to be patient on the offensive end. One area that needs improvement is to rebound the ball better and limit second chance paint points for the opposing teams.”
Graber and Getman have been the top rebounders on the season and their success in the paint is paramount to the success of the team. Additionally, Kendall Rallins ’19 and Graber have led the way in assists, and will have to continue to play strong to buoy the team’s offense.
The task lying ahead for the Continentals is not an easy one, as Hamilton has not won a road game since Dec. 4, and has not defeated a conference opponent away from Clinton all season. But Coach Collins believes they can get the job done, saying, “If we can rebound the ball and protect the paint better, it will ultimately result in more success for our team and hopefully earn us a fourth consecutive trip to the playoffs.”