By Nicole Hauck, Staff Writer
A 21-point performance from sophomore shooting guard Erin McQuillen gave the Susquehanna women’s basketball team their third win of the season after a 72–65 victory over rival Lycoming on Nov. 25 in Williamsport, Pa.
The first quarter was very low scoring on both sides for the team, and ended with a 14–12 lead for Susquehanna. It took seven minutes for the River Hawks to score their first basket on a jumper inside the paint by McQuillen.
In the second quarter, freshman guard Amanda Lemire netted six points for the River Hawks, including a four-point play with 6:35 remaining in the quarter. The first half eventually ended with Susquehanna behind 32–29.
With the River Hawks barely behind, the start of the third quarter was a back-and-forth scoring affair. The River Hawks gained momentum halfway through the quarter.
Susquehanna began their run late into the nine-minute mark, thanks in part to the play of sophomore forward Madi Welliver, who made a layup to narrow the Warriors’ lead to one. Senior point guard Bailey Trell tied the game up at 34 with a deep three-point shot. McQuillen scored 11 points in the quarter for the River Hawks, and also scored the last bucket of the quarter to give the River Hawks a 52-47 lead heading into the final 10 minutes of the game.
The final quarter began with the Warriors scoring the first basket yet again. Trell and freshman guard Amalia Esposito both scored three points, giving the River Hawks a 60–51 lead. The fourth quarter was an all-around good effort from the whole team, with nine players contributing to the scoring to seal the win.
McQuillen added two steals and a block to her 21 points, and Lemire added 17 points and a block of her own. Hoenninger followed with nine points and four assists and Welliver added six points, one steal and had a team-leading seven rebounds.
While the win in the rivalry game was huge, it was even bigger for Welliver, who was a former member of the Lycoming women’s basketball team before she decided to transfer to Susquehanna.
“Playing against my former teammates was definitely a different experience to say the least. I was not sure what to expect going into the game. However, I knew I needed to treat it just like any other team, and not let the situation effect my game,” Welliver said. “It was a must win for us as a team, and we knew going into the game it was going to be a battle. Overall, it was a great feeling to get a team win, especially on their home floor.”
“This year is going to be a big year for our team. Although we are young, we have a deep bench filled with talent,” Welliver said after the game . “We have a bright future ahead, and we are eager and working towards shocking the conference this year.”
While McQuillen is the most noticeable of the of the young River Hawks early in this season, Esposito and fellow freshman forward Olivia Brandt could be key contributors down the stretch for Susquehanna.
Brandt hauled in five rebounds in the victory over Lycoming, and her 20-minute playing time indicates the River Hawks interest in getting the 5’11” forward more involved in the gameplan.
The River Hawks are currently 3-1 and will return to action against Juniata on Friday, Dec. 1, in O.W. Houts Gymnasium in Selinsgrove.
It’s a chance for revenge for the elder members of this Susquehanna team, as the Golden Eagles dispatched the River Hawks in the final game of the season last year, 58-51.
Juniata enters this match up with a fresh-faced Susquehanna team at just 2-4. The Golden Eagles dropped their first three games of the season before picking up two wins, and losing their most-recent game to Frostburg State University 56-52.
The Juniata program is going through a bit of a rebuilding period themselves, with their current roster being made up of only two seniors, no juniors, three sophomores, and a whopping seven freshmen.
The Golden Eagles are led by sophomore guard Gracie Stauffer, who is averaging 16.0 points per game on an impressively efficient shooting percentage at about 58 percent.
Assuming that McQuillen draws defensive duty on Stauffer, it would be an early defensive test for the freshman who has already established herself as an integral part of this Susquehanna River Hawks basketball team.
