Women's Basketball Nets Three Straight

Author: Emily Berlanstein

With three consecutive wins under its belt, it seems that the Panthers women's basketball team has gelled just in time for conference play. Last week, they beat Green Mountain College handily, followed by a winning weekend against Amherst and Trinity. These wins were important for the Panthers, as Wesley Hyatt '03 explained: "Both of these teams are middle-of-the-pack. We needed these wins to establish ourselves as an upper-level team in a competitive conference."

The Green Mountain game was a fortunate introduction to NESCAC competition. Kristin Hanley '03 scored 22 points, including three three-pointers to lead the Panthers to a convincing 67-54 win. Elyse Carlson '05 added 17 points, and Alexis Batten '04 was a force under the boards with 10 rebounds.

Against Amherst, the Panthers looked strong from the start as they gained an 11 point halftime lead. The Lord Jeffs made a furious comeback in the second half, coming within two points (56-54) of the Panthers, but impressive 8-8 free throw shooting in the final minutes of the game sealed the win for the home team. Captains Kristin Hanley and Hyatt both had another impressive showing with 20 points and 14 points, respectively. Carlson was also a top scorer with 12.

The following day, sophomore Alexis Hollinger's double-double (18 points, 12 rebounds) allowed the Panthers to prevail against Trinity. After several close calls, including two moments where the Bantams came within four points, Middlebury managed a 56-48 victory. The defensive effort was outstanding, as the Bantams shot a mere 27.3 percent from the field and were out-rebouned, 47-39.

On the weekend, Hyatt observed, "We didn't necessarily play up to our potential at all times this weekend, but we got out to an early lead and held on." Undoubtedly, some of the Panther's incentive was to impress the folks seated in the stands. Batten commented, "It was Parent's Weekend for our team, so everyone really wanted to play well in front of their families. In each game, the attack was balanced - everyone came out to play."

In the coming week, the Panthers are back on the road as they face St. Lawrence on Tuesday before traveling to Maine this weekend to play Colby and Bowdoin, two of the NESCAC's top teams. Bowdoin is currently ranked first in NESCAC standings, undefeated in conference play and posting an impressive 15-1 overall record. Colby is third in the standings with a 3-1 record in conference play and 12-4 overall. These games will allow the Panthers to measure their work thus far.

The Panthers currently lead the league in defensive scoring and defensive scoring percentage. Middlebury opponents average an unimposing 54 points per game, capitalizing on only 33 percent of their attempted field goals. The Panthers hope they will continue to convert their notable defensive statistics into offensive opportunities and this momentum will carry them through the remainder of the season. Hyatt remarked, "We really needed this weekend going into Maine."