Women’s basketball falls to Blue Jays, Rangers

The Susquehanna women’s basketball team lost two games this past week, dropping their record to 6-15 overall and 3-8 in Landmark Conference play.

On Saturday, Feb. 2, the River Hawks traveled to Elizabethtown where they were defeated by the Blue Jays 66-54.

The River Hawks started the game with the hot hand shooting the ball. Sophomore guard Nevin Hoenninger recorded the first five points of the game for Susquehanna as the team got off to a 13-8 lead.

After the Blue Jays launched a run of their own, the first quarter ended in a tied game.

Elizabethtown started the scoring in quarter number two, regaining the lead and never giving it back. Hoenninger continued her success against the opposing defense, tying the game at 24 midway through the quarter.

However, the team as a whole could not generate consistent offense, and never retook the lead for the rest of the game.

A fourth-quarter push from the River Hawks and freshman forward Olivia Brandt brought the game to within three, but Elizabethtown closed the game out on an 11-5 run. Susquehanna was led in scoring by freshman guard Sadie Comfort, who dropped 13 points and shot 5-12 from the field, including three from beyond the arc.

Hoenninger added 10 points of her own, and sophomore guard Erin McQuillen and freshman guard Amanda Lemire both scored seven points apiece.

On Wednesday, Feb. 6, the team hosted Drew University at O.W. Houts Gymnasium where they were defeated 67-50. Despite the team’s hot start in the Elizabethtown game, the River Hawks could only muster five points in the first quarter and shot a dismal 14.3 percent from the field.

Comfort once again found success from three-point range, drilling four of them in the game. Her efforts, as well as that of sophomore forward Madi Welliver allowed Susquehanna to pull within one point of the Rangers midway through the second quarter.

The River Hawks quelled some of their shooting woes in the third quarter, shooting 53.8 percent thanks to Comfort and McQuillen. The improved shooting wasn’t enough to cut into Drew’s lead, however, as the Rangers held a double-digit lead for most of the fourth quarter. McQuillen led the River Hawks in scoring with 17 points as well as adding three rebounds. Welliver grabbed nine total boards of her own, and was third on the team in scoring with nine, right behind Comfort who finished with 12.

The loss to Drew was the team’s third in a row, and their seventh loss in their last 10 games. With only three games left in the regular season, the team looks to finish strong.

Susquehanna will look to re bound on Saturday, Feb. 9 when they host the Catholic Cardinals. The team’s seniors will also be honored as part of the annual Senior Day celebration.