Donald Keough, Editor-in-Chief
As final seconds ticked by, the stands crescendoed their uproar as Abby Cooch ‘27 burned out the clock dribbling from halfcourt in the Livingston Gymnasium.
When the final buzzer sounded on their 63-54 victory over Trine University on March 7, the Denison women’s team leapt from the sidelines. Their jubilance marked a historical moment for the women’s basketball team as they are on their way to the NCAA tournament’s Sweet 16 for the first time in program history.
Cooch led the Big Red with 24 points, including seven 3-pointers. Violet Mitchell ‘27 made four 3-pointers to finish with 12 points. Ada Taute ‘27 also scored 12 and added nine rebounds. Anelly Madtoingue ‘28 grabbed eight rebounds and blocked seven shots, and Milly Dorighi ‘29 had four steals.
Cooch also reached a personal milestone during the game as she surpassed 1,000 career points.“We made history tonight, and we’re gonna keep making history,” Mad-toingué said.
“Our whole team has worked so hard for this moment,” Mitchell said. “It’s very rewarding to see all of our hard work pay off.”
Head Coach Maureen Hirt, who is in her fourth season with the team, has watched the team go from a losing record to their current run.
“It’s amazing. These kids have made history,” Hirt said. “I think a lot of our players believed in the vision before it really came to fruition.”
Hirt said their team’s tight-knit culture contributed to their win, and that every member of the team supports each other. She calls this culture a team commitment to “one through 18” on their roster, which has made “really good things happen.”
Many of the players share the same sentiment.
“We’re all each other’s best friends,” Morgan Kress ‘27 said. “Everybody genuinely wants everybody on the team to succeed. I mean, everybody can see how hard we’re playing for each other.”
“Our team plays for each other, and that’s what really matters,” Mitchell said. “That’s how we got here. I’m proud of myself, but I’m proud of our team.”
Hirt’s leadership as a coach also played a valuable role to wins such as this one, according to members of the team.
“She’s a role model and we all take to her resilience,” Cooch said. “We all try to replicate [her qualities] in our games.”
Cooch also said that after “seeing what she’s gone through it’s awesome to see where she is now.” Hirt was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma during the 2023-24 season.
“She’s really persevered as a leader on the team,” Cooch said.
The team will now take on NCAC rival John Carroll University who the Big Red are 2-0 against. Hirt said that she wants the team to continue fine tuning their strategy for their next opponent.
“We have to get a little bit of a greater, really physical game,” Hirt said.
The team is rearing with momentum, and many on the team said that they are excited to take on their next challenger.
“It’s only gonna get tougher, but that’s when we’re gonna lean into each other more,” Kress said.
“We’re going to keep going into every game with the same mentality of going out and knowing that our defense really pushes our offense,” Dorighi ‘29 said. “We’re going out with high energy, every single play.”