Women's Hoops Christens Renovated Pepin With First Playoff Win

Author: Emily Berlanstein

The excitement of the Middlebury women's basketball team was certainly visible to the Middlebury community this week: rookies sport shirts advertising game times, posters adorning the doors of Proctor Hall and team members focusing, excited, and a little anxious for Tuesday night's game against Wesleyan University. The Panthers survived an early scare to handle Wesleyan 67-40 and advance to the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) semifinals at Bowdoin this weekend.

It had already been an exhilarating week, as the team earned the number two ranking in the NESCAC with a narrow 58-55 victory over Williams College on Saturday. Now, the fact that the Panthers will miss this weekend's Winter Carnival festivities for the semifinal and final rounds of the tournament did not bother the team in the least. All season they have had to make sacrifices weekend nights, trips with their friends over Winter break, time with their families over Christmas and the trip to Maine will reward them for this intense dedication.

The win against Wesleyan in Pepin Gymnasium started out ugly, as Wesleyan shot a meager 24 percent from the field in the first half, compared to the Panthers' 33 percent. The Cardinals even hopped out to an early lead, 11-9, ten minutes into the game. However, in the second ten minutes of the first half, Middlebury outscored Wesleyan 25-7 to take a commanding 34-18 lead at the half.

The Panthers never looked back, and despite Wesleyan's aggressive and sometimes out-of-control defense Middlebury did not allow the Cardinals to challenge the lead it had worked so hard to amass. Megan McCosker '02 and Kristin Hanley '03 led the way for the Panthers, McCosker scoring 14 points and Hanley adding 16 more. Alexis Batten '04 and Alexis Hollinger '05 dominated the boards for the Panthers, each with 11 rebounds.

Earlier last week, the Panthers won their ninth straight game with a 65-50 defeat of Clarkson University. In the first half, Middlebury's defense allowed them to accumulate a 34-18 lead, holding the Golden Knights to 4-22 shooting. Defense continued to be a crucial asset for the Panthers in the second half, as Clarkson's Linda Bondellio (25 points) continually found her shot and cut the deficit to one point.

Fortunately, McCosker, in her second to last regular season game for Middlebury, sparked the offense with 21 points. Batten also contributed a double double, with 10 points and 17 rebounds. Currently, McCosker is third in the NESCAC in assists, averaging 5.1 a game, and Batten is fifth in the NESCAC in rebounding, with an average of 7.4.

The final regular season game for Middlebury was a real nail-biter, as the Panthers slid by Williams, 58-55, in the final seconds. With a raucaus crowd present in Williamstown for carnival weekend Middlebury was abe to hang tough down the stretch. With 2:32 left on the clock, the Ephs, who clung to a small lead for most of the contest, pulled ahead by two on a lay-up. Batten then tied the score at 54 with 1:21 left, and McCosker's jumper with 44 seconds put the Panthers on top. During the next possession, a foul was called, and Williams' Melissa Skeffington, a NESCAC free throw percentage leader, was successful on only one of two attempts. With time at a premium the Ephs were then forced to press and foul to stop the clock. Katie Shutte '03 with the pressure squarely on her shoulders, proceded to sick both shots to seal the victory for the Panthers.

First-year forward Hollinger performed impressively with 18 points and 11 rebounds. Batten also contributed 11 points, but the win was a true team effort. Unable to overcome a poor shooting percentage for most of the first half, Middlebury was forced to rely on defense, rebounding and setting the pace of the game. It was evident to anyone in the stands that they Ephs had trespassed on Panther territory; Middlebury wanted the win more than Williams did.

First-year Karen Lee recalls, "Despite the poor shooting, we had to play our game and find our options on offense. Our goal was to attack where they were lacking, and, in the final stretch, we did just that." Confident that they would come out on top, the Panthers exhibited maturity and composure that has typified them all seasons and that they hope to maintain in the week ahead.

The Panthers now will face third-seed Bates at Bowdoin on Saturday. In the one meeting this season between the teams, Middlebury came out on top by a score of 58-50. If Middlebury wins it would face either Bowdoin, the top seed and host, or Williams. This Saturday, as their classmates dance the night away, the Panthers women will hope for a different kind of ball; not a fancy affair with dresses and hors d'oeuvre. They prefer an orange ball with black grips, falling flawlessly into the net.