The women's basketball team started its season off with a split billing at the Endicott College Tip-Off Tournament, taking a game from host Endicott in the consolation bracket after losing to local rival Suffolk Friday night.
Following the heartbreaking 59-57 loss on Friday, the Jumbos came into Saturday's game against the host team on fire, jumping to a quick eight-point lead by the half. It only got better for the Jumbos from there, as they maintained the lead and finished 20 points ahead, knocking out the Gulls by a final score of 62-42.
Consistent with the bigger inside presence from this year's Jumbos, a pair of post players came up big throughout the weekend. Junior forward Khalilah Ummah contributed 13 points and seven rebounds off the bench and senior co-captain Laura Jasinski added eight rebounds for the Jumbos. The duo is listed at 6'0" and, along with senior center Libby Park, form an experienced paint force for the Jumbos.
"The one person who stands out to me this weekend is Khalilah," Jasinski said of her inside counterpart. "She really picked it up and has a huge presence under the hoop. We are going to be looking to put it into her in the post a lot this season."
The Jumbos dominated the Gulls in most categories on the day, out-rebounding them 44-22, including 15 offensive rebounds that led to 18 second-chance points in Saturday's contest, and a strong presence on the defensive boards held the Gulls to just five second-chance points.
"We came out fired up, and it showed, especially in our defense," Jasinski said. "Our guards put a lot of pressure on the ball and made it very hard for Endicott to set up their offense."
Not only did the Jumbos out-rebound the home team, but forced Endicott to commit 26 turnovers, keeping the Gulls uneasy in their offense and stifling any chance for a comeback.
"By the middle of the second half, you could see Endicott was fatigued," senior guard Taryn Miller-Stevens said. "We were pushing the ball on offense and then getting steals because of our defensive pressure. At the end of the game, we realized that in order for us to be successful, we need to play every second of every game just like that."
Starting seniors Val Krah and Miller-Stevens added their share of points, netting 12 and 11 respectively on the day. Miller-Stevens added seven rebounds from the point guard spot to make a solid contribution to the win for the Jumbos.
On Friday the Jumbos locked horns with the Rams of Suffolk University, only to fall just short, 59-57. While the game was back-and-forth most of the way, the Rams were able to notch the final points and pulled away with the win. Jasinski put up a notable effort in the loss, with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Following the weekend's trend, Ummah followed with 14 points and 10 rebounds.
"Losing the game on Friday may have been a blessing in disguise," Miller-Stevens said. "It definitely showed us what we need to improve on and served as a wake-up call to our team. Saturday was a new day. We came out strong, playing full-court in-your-face defense."
The Jumbos were plagued by a poor shooting percentage for most of the game, shooting just 28 percent from the floor in the first half and an equally weak 1-for-11 from three-point range. The second half was better, and the Jumbos finished the game at 35.8 percent from the floor, but their poor first-half shooting opened the door for the Rams, who squeezed through with three players scoring in double figures.
"Defensively, we weren't communicating enough, and offensively, we simply weren't patient beating their press or running plays in the half court," Miller-Stevens said. "For us to be successful, we need to play 40 minutes of smarter basketball, especially getting after it on the defensive end."
As on Saturday, when 11 Jumbos scored in the game - including eight players off the bench - one bright spot in Friday's game was the significant contribution from the Jumbo bench. Six players saw time off the bench and combined for 17 points and 11 rebounds. The depth of the Jumbo squad will likely continue to be a strength for the team as they look ahead to NESCAC play.
"What is great about our team this year is that each game is a real team effort," Jasinski said. "We have a lot of offensive threats, and we are able to spread points across a lot of players."
The Jumbos are set to travel to non-conference rival Western New England on Tuesday to take on the Golden Bears before heading home for a short Thanksgiving break. They return early to stay fresh for a match-up against non-conference Babson on Nov. 28.
