By Johnny Alexandre '22
NEW LONDON, Conn. – A game filled with lead changes was decided in the last very few possessions of the fourth quarter as the Connecticut College women's basketball team barely lost by a score of 52-46 at Mitchell College on Monday evening.
With effective passing, Connecticut College came out to an early lead by finding good shots down low near the basketball. However, Mitchell College (6-4) kept the game close early on with efficient three-point shooting while being led by Dede Stevenson and Alexia Watson.
With the score neck and neck entering the second half, both teams came out firing from behind the three-point line. Stevenson and Watson again led the way for the Mariners, while the Camels'
Rebecca Oberman-Levine (Hamden, Conn.) and Catie Donado (Clinton, Conn.) were each able to convert on three-point shots of their own, bringing the game into the fourth quarter with the two teams separated by only a score.
With about three minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, and Connecticut College trailing by four points at 45-41 following a Mitchell College three-pointer, Oberman-Levine grabbed an offensive rebound following a missed shot and was able to go right back up and score the layup. The basket returned the margin back to a single possession. On the other end, the Mariners would answer with a layup of their own and then earn a trip to the free-throw line on their next possession, taking a 49-43 lead and forcing the Camels to call a timeout with under a minute to go.
Coming out of the timeout, the ball found
Aislinn McMahon (Andover, Mass.), who was able to send it through the net from behind the arc and give the Camels life in a 49-46 point game. Following that possession, the Camels were forced to foul to stop the clock with about 15 seconds remaining. Mitchell's Stevenson went to the free-throw line, making one out of two shots and expanding the team's lead to four points.
Connecticut College would get the ball back and fire up another three, hoping to tighten things up, but the shot missed, and Mitchell was able to secure the rebound and with it the victory.
Oberman-Levine and
Jaycie Rojik (Scituate, Mass) led the way for the Camels with 11 and 10 points respectively. Connecticut College's McMahon also nearly notched a double-double with 10 rebounds and eight points. Stevenson and Watson scored 19 and 12 points each for the Mariners.
Connecticut College (2-9) will next face off against the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, after the holidays, at home on Monday, Jan. 3rd at 7 p.m.
