Senior guard Gabby Singer hit seven three-pointers en route to helping the Hawks get a victory before heading home from Western Pennsylvania after defeating Robert Morris 60-48 Monday night.
After dropping from third to fourth place in the Northeast Conference standings, the women’s basketball team traveled to Connecticut and Western Pennsylvania winning only their final game during the three game road contests. The Blue and White dropped the first two games to Quinnipiac University and Saint Francis Pennsylvania, and defeated Robert Morris Monday night finishing off the rough five games in 10 day swing going 3-2.
“I’m really proud of the team,” Head Coach Jenny Palmateer said. “This was the gutsiest performance of the five. For it to come on the fifth one, to see what we had in us and how hard we played was a real gut check.”
Last Wednesday, February 20, the Hawks were unable to handle the undefeated Quinnipiac Bobcats losing 72-45, snapping their four-game winning streak. Chevannah Paalvast led the team with 10 points along with eight rebounds as Abigail Martin pulled down 10 rebounds along with scoring eight. Betsy Gadziala also added eight rebounds of her own.
The Hawks opened the game with a 9-4 run. QU went on a 8-0 run immediately after and didn’t allow the Hawks to get within five. In the second half, Quinnipiac went on a 16-2 run including three straight three-pointers by three different Bobcats to help them cruise to a 27-point victory.
“They (Quinnipiac) were very physical with us, I thought they did a really good job attacking and capitalizing on some of our early mistakes,” said Palmateer on QU’s performance.
Quinnipiac shot 12-23 (52.2 percent) from beyond the three-point arc, including eight second half three’s, as the Blue and White shot only 32.7 percent (17-52) from the field for the game.
This game, originally scheduled for February 11, was postponed several times due to Winter Storm Nemo that dropped more than three feet of snow in the New England Area. After taking the six-hour bus ride from West Long Branch to Loreto, PA, the Hawks were unable to stop the Red Flash, dropping the afternoon game 69-56, while also dropping to fourth in the standings.
MU took an early 2-1 lead in the first 30 seconds of the game, but after that it was all Saint Francis, who went on a 9-0 run to end the first half. Going into halftime down by 11, the Hawks were able to cut the lead down to seven late into the game but it was the free throws that helped St. Francis close the game, going 19-28 from the charity stripe in the second half.
“Really, I think a lot of our turnovers were unforced, mental mistakes on our end. Just really sloppy play,” Palmateer stated after the defeat in regards to her team turning the ball over 30 times.
Senior guard Alysha Womack led both teams in scoring with 21 points, as Paalvast just missed a double double with 13 points and nine rebounds. Sara English chipped in for the Hawks with seven rebounds and Singer had three of the eight team steals. MU shot 43.1 percent from the field, shooting 22-51 for the game as well as going 8-14 (57.1 percent) from the free throw line. During the two-game losing streak, the Hawks have had a combined 57 turnovers.
From Loreto to Moon Township, the Hawks went in to Robert Morris and ended their two-game skid, winning at the Sewall Center for the first time since January 2010. Along with a career high seven three-pointers, Singer also tied former teammate Alexis Canady for most consecutive games played in a Hawk uniform at 122.
“When Gabby started hitting those it turned the game around for sure. We were really struggling to score before she started taking those threes,” said Palmateer.
After being down by nine midway through the first half, MU went on a 13-0 run and never look backed as Singer ended the half with 18 points, all from behind the arc. The Hakws went into the half up by seven, the only time during this stretch they led at the half.
As Singer quieted down from beyond the arc, hitting only one three, Thibault stepped up going 3-3 from the three. The Blue and White hit 12 threes throughout the game, the most since they hit 12 back in January 2010 when they did so against Central Connecticut.
Behind Singers 21 points, Thibault and Womack scored 13 and 12 respectively. The seniors, along with the rest of their squad shot 40.8 percent from the field while going 57.1 percent from beyond the arc.
MU will wrap up their regular season at home this weekend when Wagner and Mount Saint Mary’s visit the MAC.
