Photo by Desmon Irvin
By Hayden Lange
Susquehanna Women’s Basketball fell short Sunday at home in a 68-63 loss against No. 12 ranked Christopher Newport in the PNC Tipoff tournament Championship game.
The game started off very back-and-forth throughout the first quarter, as both teams were both trying to find a rhythm on offense
Both defenses played very tight, with every basket requiring heavy effort from the opposing offense. The River Hawks (1-1) put together a strong end to the first quarter with a 13-11 lead.
Susquehanna found more offensive success in the second quarter, as they put up 25 points in the period. They connected on all four three-point attempts in the quarter while shooting 53.8 percent from the floor. This led the River Hawks to a 38-31 advantage at halftime.
“I really liked the way we played. Defense and rebounding looked really good and I’m looking forward to see how it progresses throughout the season,” said head coach Gabby Holko.
The third quarter saw Christopher Newport (2-0) battling back in the game. But Susquehanna was able to answer back as well, with 14 points in the period. With both teams trading baskets, Susquehanna held a 52-44 lead going into the fourth quarter.
Christopher Newport brought a push in the final quarter as they took the lead late in the game. Susquehanna kept fighting aggressively on offense and defense, but Christopher Newport capitalized on several opportunities to keep the lead.
Susquehanna was able to battle back from an eight-point deficit in the final minute of the game. Down by two the River Hawks had an opportunity to tie the game, but the shot was missed and Christopher Newport was able to hang on for the win.
Senior guard Sydney Weyant led Susquehanna on offense with 18 points, connecting on three three-pointers. Senior forward Zoie Maffei also had a strong performance with 11 points and a team-high 13 rebounds for the double-double. Although the loss, senior guard Annie Greek and Weyant earned all-tournament honors with there performances over the two games.
“It was a tough loss that we could have had several times, but there were still a lot of great things from this game,” Greek said.
The River Hawks shot 34.9 percent from the floor and 31.8 percent from the three-point line.
Susquehanna will return to action on Saturday, Nov 14 where they will travel to Allentown, Pennsylvania for a 3 p.m. game against Muhlenberg College.