Women end three-game skid with 68-31 victory
After watching their classmates on the men’s basketball team forge a narrow, one-point victory in a game decided at the buzzer, the members of the St. Mary’s College of Maryland women’s basketball team bypassed their chance at melodrama and made quick of visiting Wells 68-31 on Saturday afternoon.
St. Mary’s College (6-7 overall, 4-2 in the United East Conference) trailed the visiting Express for a grand total of 45 seconds early then dominated the game thereafter. Seahawks’ veterans Karon Williams and Cassidy Kupchinskas each led the way with 14 points as the hosts enjoyed a comfortable 21-9 lead at the end of the first quarter and extended the margin to 41-15 at the intermission.
“I thought we came out and played with a lot of energy and a lot of confidence,” Kupchinskas said. “We’ve really been playing well. We have a lot of chemistry on the team this year. There are maybe only two or three new players and everyone else is back from last year. I don’t remember the last time we won four conference games.”
SMCM first-year women’s coach Brittney Kenney commended her players for their efforts on Saturday and throughout the first half of the season. The Seahawks not only made quick work of the Express in the nightcap of the Saturday twin-bill, they rebounded from a 26-point loss the night before against Morrisville State.
“I think the girls have really helped change the culture here,” said Kenney, previously an assistant coach for the women’s basketball team at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. “They come ready for practice and games. They’re all really unselfish and look to get each other into the offense. They also play with a lot of energy and support each other.”
Wells (0-12, 0-5) actually scored the game’s first bucket on a layup from Lyd
ia Thomas (10 points), but that would prove to be the only lead of the outing for the Express. Kupchinskas countered with her first of three, three-point field goals on the day and her second capped an 11-0 run later in the first quarter that lifted the hosts to a 21-6 lead.
Williams scored a pair of buckets early in the second quarter and later Kendra Stamper and Stephanie Howell added baskets inside then Williams connected on a three-pointer to vault the Seahawks to a 37-13 lead.
Rachel Manning and Kupchinskas scored the first two buckets of the second half for SMCM then Chyna Landon added two more baskets for the Seahawks.
One night earlier the Seahawks were humbled by visiting Morrisville State (7-6, 3-2), 81-55, on a night when Williams led all scorers with 19 points in a losing cause for the SMCM.
Stephanie Howell had 11 and both Kupchinskas and Stamper each had seven. Brooke Hammersly led Morrisville State with 17 points, Taylor Colone-Microni had 16 and Rachel Vieira added 15.