The Hamilton women’s basketball team completed its final weekend of games at home in the Margaret Bundy Scott Fieldhouse with two tough losses to NESCAC rivals Middlebury College (18–6 overall, 5–4 NESCAC) and Williams College (11–13 overall, 5–5 NESCAC).
During the Friday, Feb. 8 game against Middlebury College, the score went back and forth throughout the four quarters; there were 11 lead changes and six ties. Neither team was ever more than six points ahead of the other.
Hamilton’s last lead of the game came with 5 minutes and 41 seconds left in the fourth quarter. Middlebury started to pull away, scoring six points in a row for a score of 54–49. Marie
Steiner ’20 responded with a 3-pointer and Carly O’Hern ’20 made a free throw, making the score 54–53.
The two teams again traded points while the clock wound down, but Middle- bury was able to seal the win with two free throws, leaving a final score of 58–55.
Steiner led the team with 13 points, making three of six attempted 3-pointers, and a career-high five assists. O’Hern also made three 3-pointers with a total of 10 points. Captain Halie Serbent ’19 scored six points, blocked two shots and grabbed eight rebounds.
The Continentals made a total of 8 of 25 attempted 3-point shots, while the Panthers went 0-for-11. However, Middlebury, as a team, scored 38 points in the paint to Hamilton’s 20 points. Middlebury players also took over twice as many free throws.
Hamilton coach Mahogany Green had this to say about the close loss: “I think that we had a few missed shots and missed stops. We are learning to finish games and push through the threshold. It’s all part of the rebuilding process […] I am proud of my team and how they are learning to fight. That is all a coach wants — everything else will come.”
On Saturday, Feb. 9, the Continentals returned to their court to take on the Williams College Ephs. An enthusiastic crowd came to support the team and celebrate Serbent, Gareth Coalson ’19, Kendall Rallins ’19 and Mia Caterisano ’19 on their Senior Day.
The Ephs quickly took the lead at the start of the game, eventually taking a lead of 20 points by the end of the first quarter. After making four of nine attempted 3-pointers in the third quarter, Williams was winning 53–35 with ten minutes remaining in the game.
However, during the fourth quarter, the Continentals started to make a major comeback. The Ephs were held to only three points in the last five minutes by Hamilton’s defense, while the Continentals scored 14. Hamilton players made six 3-pointers in this quarter alone. The last points of the game were two 3-point shots in a row by Kelcie Zarle ’22, for a final score of 64–59.
Green said the fourth-quarter response showed that her team is “trusting each other and the system; they are believing that they are worthy of winning and want to win. They kept fighting and believing. If we had a few more minutes, the outcome would have been different. I love our fight, we are competing and working hard.”
Notable performances came from Elizabeth Arnold ’22, who scored a team-high 12 points, and Serbent, who had eight points and 10 rebounds. O’Hern made three 3-pointers and had three assists. Steiner and Zarle both had 10 points.
With just over 20 seconds left of the game, the four seniors returned to the bench, receiving a long standing ovation from their teammates and the crowd in appreciation for all they have given to Hamilton athletics over the past four years.
Coach Green, in her first season as Hamilton’s coach, had positive words on the impact of the seniors, saying, “[They] have laid a foundation for this program. They took on change with grace and pushed through this season […] They gave their blood, sweat, and tears and I am very appreciative of what they’ve done on the court, in the classroom, and in the community. I will always be there for them and I look forward to seeing all of their successes in the future. [They] were a blessing to coach.”
Their first-year teammate Eliana Silk ’22 had similar thoughts. “[The seniors] helped every single player on our team become a better version of themselves, both as a basketball player and as a person. They all strive for greatness and their enthusiasm and love for basketball is something that will be hard to forget.”
Despite the tough loss, the last quarter in particular was a great representation of the hard work, perseverance, and resiliency that the team has showed all season.
Hamilton women’s basketball has their final game of the season at Amherst College on Wednesday, Feb. 13.
