Women's Basketball rebounds back into win column

First, a tough loss to Princeton. But then, commanding wins against Penn and Army. The women's basketball team has quickly learned that winning requires nothing more than solid defense and rebounding.

After a rigorous stretch of four games over the winter holiday, the players agreed that their team defense and rebounding have directly dictated the outcomes of their recent contests. "Rebounding was the key to our wins," Cortney Golub, SY '00, said of the squad's triumphs over Army, Penn, Lehigh, and Lafayette. "When we out-rebound our opponents, we have more ball possessions and more chances to score."

The players thought their defense and rebounding especially improved during a holiday tournament in Chicago over Thanksgiving, despite losses to St. Joseph's and Boston College. The women have since squeaked out two victories against Lafayette and Lehigh, winning by one point and three points respectively.

Courtesy Sports Publicity Office Center Katy Grubbs, SM '99, jockeys for position in the paint

Center Katy Grubbs, SM '99, said that Lehigh and Lafayette provided a good warm-up for Ivy League games because "we did a pretty good job playing a close game and coming out in the end. In the Ivies, all the teams are pretty well-matched and the end of the game is going to show which team is better."

Although the team made improvements, they were not sharp enough to defeat Princeton. The players were disappointed with their lackluster performance in the 67-45 loss. "We came out flat-footed. [Princeton] came out ready to play and outplayed us in the first ten minutes. We couldn't recover," Grubbs said. Yale's shooting percentage remained low throughout the game. "We needed to shoot at least 40 percent to have a chance against Princeton, and we were way below that," forward Autumn Braddock, BK '99, said.

Coach Cecilia DeMarco said she was proud of the team's determination to correct the mistakes made against Princeton. "They accepted the responsibility for the loss and asked themselves what they had to do to win," she said.

Alyson Miller, JE '01, agreed. "We learned that we needed to want it more. We got pissed and ready to fight for the next one. It showed in our awesome game against Penn." Miller earned a double-double in the Penn game, scoring 16 points and grabbing 12 rebounds.

The other members of the team acknowledged the outstanding performances of Miller and her fellow freshmen, Lily Glick, ES '01, and Sara Perkins, MC '01. "Lily, Sara, and Alyson stepped up against Penn. They all scored and rebounded really well. Ryan [Hardaker, MC '98] and Katie O'Leary, BK '98, also played great games," Grubbs said. The team also recently returned Natasha Archer, MC '99, to the line-up after her injury. "She brings depth and aggression to the team," Braddock said.

Yale's resilience did not end after the Penn win. Wednesday night at West Point the women defeated Army, 73-49. An elated DeMarco said that for the first time this year the offense began to click. She noted that key players, including Grubbs, Braddock, and Harmonee Williams, JE '98, facilitated the victory.

"Katy Grubbs had a great game. It was her best all-around effort," DeMarco said. "She not only shot well, which is the usual for Grubbs, but she also rebounded well and played excellent defense." The coach added that Braddock, "our best shooter, was on fire, and Harmonee Williams played her best game ever."

Hopes for the rest of the Ivy season are high. If the team continues to play effective defense and improve its rebounding skills, more victories are likely. According to Grubbs, defense is key, especially on the second night of consecutive games. "People's legs are tired and their shots are off, so it all comes down to defense, and our defending is our strength," Grubbs said.

DeMarco, positive in her Ivy outlook, explained that most of the games thus far have been away, and a majority of the remaining games are at home. Grubbs, like DeMarco, feels a distinct home court advantage. "I like it because we are familiar with the court, we have the larger crowd cheering for us, and we get to sleep in our own beds on the night before the game."

"We want to get Princeton back," Williams said. She wants to perform like she knows the team is capable of performing. "If we do that we can win," she said.

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