Author: Jack Ridenour

The Women’s Basketball team continues play well as they get closer and closer to the end of the season. With 10 league games down, and 8 more to go, the team is 4-6 in conference play and 9-7 overall. The team currently stands in 7th place in the PAC standings, but with a late season push, the team could finish even higher in the conference.

In the last four games, the team is 2-2, defeating both Thiel College and Geneva College. The two losses came against two higher ranked teams in the conference, St. Vincent and Bethany College.
The team took on Geneva College on January 11th in Beaver Falls, PA. The Cougars entered the game with a 7-5 overall record and a 2-4 in conference record. The Cougars dominated the whole game, outscoring Geneva in three of the four quarters, and ultimately defeating the Golden Tornado’s 81-69. They were led by sophomore guard Ashley McClain and sophomore guard Katie Sieg  both scoring 25 points each. Junior guard Megan Sieg added 18 points to the victory, and senior forward Jesse Hinkle grabbed nine rebounds to lead the team.
The Cougars then faced Thiel College at home on January 14. They came into the contest with a record of 8-5 overall and 3-4 in conference play. The game was a back and forth battle, as the Cougars found themselves trailing the Tomcats 31-27 at halftime. Fortunately they were able to bounce back after a slow first half, and eventually defeat Thiel 67-64. They were again led by Katie Sieg with 26 points. Megan Sieg added 13 points, and both McClain and Hinkle chipped in 12 points in the victory.
“We communicated well and boxed out well and knew what shots were good shots to take,” said sophomore forward and business management major Maggie Soeder. These victories will be crucial for the Cougars as they inch closer to the postseason.
The ladies then traveled to Bethany, WV to take on Bethany College on January 18th. The Cougars were 9-5 overall coming into the game, and 4-4 against conference opponents. The team started the game off hot, and found themselves leading 51-46 after the first half. Bethany came roaring back in the second half, and eventually defeated the cougars 78-83.
The Cougars came back home to take on St Vincent on January 21. They entered the game at 9-6 overall and 4-5 in PAC games. The team started off strong, leading 36-34 after the first half. The Bearcats came out hot in the second half, and would eventually beat the Cougars 68-58. The team was led by Megan Sieg who scored 16 points, and Katie Sieg and McClain each added 11.
“To make playoffs and a final run for the rest of the season, we need to stick together as a team and keep getting better every single day at practice,” said McClain. The Cougars are in the second part of league play, and are fighting for position in the playoffs. “We need to fix little mistakes and reduce turnovers, have better shot selection, and take care of the ball,” McClain went on to say. The team needs to continue to play their up tempo style of play to finish strong in the conference.

They need to continue to have solid guard and post play in order to go far in the playoffs.  “Communicating on defense and utilizing all of our team on the offensive side is what we need to continue to work on,” said freshman forward Sierra Ungerman.