Author: Jack Ridenour

The Women’s basketball team is coming off of a week where they faced three PAC opponents. The team took on Thomas Moore College, Waynesburg University and Washington and Jefferson University. The Cougars took down Waynesburg, but had two tough losses to Thomas Moore and Washington and Jefferson.

The Cougars came into the game against Thomas Moore with a record 6-4 and 1-3 in conference play. The Saints from Thomas Moore entered the game 11-0 and 4-0 in conference play. The team had a tough challenge facing the number one team in the conference. After the first half, they were down 45-14, being led by Sophomore guard and biology major Katie Sieg with nine points. The team fought hard in the second half, but ultimately fell to the Saints 94-32. The Cougars were led by Katie Sieg with 13 points and sophomore guard and human biology major Ashley McClain with eight points.
The team traveled to Waynesburg to face the Yellow Jackets. Waynesburg came in with a record of 7-5 and 3-2 in conference play. The Cougars were in a back and forth battle with the Yellow Jackets, losing to them 20-19 after the first quarter. The Cougars entered halftime being down 43-37. They started off the second half hot, shooting 53% from the field and 44% from three. The team fought their way back and took down the Yellow Jackets 78-69, improving their record to 7-5. The Cougars were led by Katie Sieg with 25 points and Ashley McClain with 23 points.
“Yeah, I definitely think that we feed off each other’s energy. Just knowing that I can depend on [McClain] during the game gives me and my other teammates confidence. I Think both Ashley and I are really positive on the floor so we use that energy to fuel each other and our teammates,” said Sieg when asked about how she and McClain play together. “We are able to go in transition a lot more and push the ball up the floor. We are also able to see each other off of basket cuts and know if one of us can beat our defense.” said McClain.
This up tempo style of play that the sophomore guards have been playing as of late has allowed the Cougars to wear down their opponents, especially late in the game. If both McClain and Sieg play the way they played against Waynesburg, the Cougars will be a tough team to beat in the PAC.
Saturday, the Cougars faced the Presidents from Washington and Jefferson who came into the game 9-4 and 6-0 in conference. The game went back and forth, with the score tied 16-16 after the first quarter. Down by five at half, the Cougars started off slow, being outscored 21-16 in the third quarter. The Cougars couldn’t make a comeback, and fell to the Presidents 82-74.
“I think this past week we really surprised the conference with how well we can compete with the top teams, because last year we struggled to compete with Waynesburg and Washington and Jefferson in particular,” said sophomore shooting guard and exercise science major Natalie Knab.
“I feel confident that when we play those teams again we can compete and ultimately win not only those games but games against St. Vincent and other top competitors in the PAC. If we all play our game and stick together we can definitely shock the PAC,” Knab went on to say.
The Cougars have the ability to make a name for themselves in the conference this year. With their relentless style of play and constant confidence, they have the ability to be a tough competitor this year.