Winning is fun, isn’t it?
This past Saturday, February 2nd, the Denison Women’s Basketball team claimed their fifth straight win, conquering Oberlin College in a 63-47 victory. This was also the team’s alumni game, where they honored players of the past during halftime, specifically Denison’s first NCAA Tournament team (1993-94). This win boosted the team’s record to 13-7 overall and 9-3 in the North Coast Athletic Conference.
Denison started off strong, scoring 16 of the first 18 points of the game. Big Red led Oberlin 12-2 with under four minutes remaining in the first quarter. A stellar performance was put on by Lauren Longbrake ‘20, who scored a total of 21 points throughout the game, helping carry the team to victory. With the first quarter behind them, Denison led Oberlin 20-5, the final eight points were put up by Alison Schafer ‘20 and Lauren Hofer ‘20. The two juniors were able to connect 60 percent of their shots, launching Big Red far ahead of their opponent.
Heading into halftime, Denison led the Oberlin Yeowomen 35-18, shooting 49 percent for the entire game. With a final three throw from Lucy Bancone ‘19 sealed the win for Denison, locking in their longest winning streak yet.
From the bleachers it was incredible to see the way this team worked together. From consistently cheering each other on from the bench, to actively communicating on court, the team was in non-stop action for the entirety of the game. Each chance they had on offense consisted of intricate plays which were well executed, and carried the team to success. Defensively they were quick on their feet and aggressive with rebounds, taking advantage of every chance they got to reclaim possession and travel back to their opponent’s net.
Senior Lucy Bancone, who put on a powerful performance throughout this varsity contest, was proud of the way her and her teammates played, along with being excited about walking away with a win. Lucy said, “It was an awesome team win. We played great defense and were able to communicate well on the court. We came out with great intensity from the start and were able to keep a lead the entire game without letting up,” she said. The Big Red Women’s Basketball team will be taking on the College of Wooster Fighting Scots this upcoming Wednesday, February 6th in Livingston Gymnasium. With nine wins behind them and a second place sanding in the North Coast Athletic Conference, the team will head into this game ready to put up a strong fight against their visiting opponents.