While faculty members and students across campus packed up and headed home for Thanksgiving break, the women’s basketball team (and other winter sports teams) stayed behind to start their 2018–2019 season. On Saturday, Nov. 17 the team took to the hardwood for their season opener against the Green Mountain College Eagles in the Margaret Bundy Scott Field House. In the 91–58 victory, every Continental player scored in Head Coach Mahogany Green’s debut. Four players recorded double-digit points including Halie Serbent ’19, who lead the team with 18 points, and Kayla Glemaud ’21, who notched a personal best of 10 points. Two first-years, Kelcie Zarle ’22 and Liz Arnold ’22, had 14 and 11 points respectively. Not to be overlooked were the strong all-around performances from forwards Carly O’Hern ’20 and Mia Caterisano ’19 and the starting backcourt of Scout Lansing ’21 and Marie Steiner ’20.

With one game in the books, the new coaching staff of Green and Assistant Coach Nanyamka Moore had good reason to celebrate their first victory at Hamilton. But after the brief celebration, all eyes turned toward the next game at SUNY Potsdam on Tuesday, Nov. 20.

After a couple days of practice the team hopped on the bus for Potsdam, NY, their first away game of the season. Though the margin of victory was not as large as their first game, the Continentals were still able to walk away with a 68–62 victory. Serbent led the team yet again with 21 points to go along with a career-high 14 rebounds. Arnold contributed 15 points. Steiner, O’Hern, and Mackenzie Aldridge ’20 all provided key buckets in the win. After the game the team traveled back to Clinton where they departed to their respective Thanksgiving destinations for a few days before returning back to campus on Friday, Nov. 23.

The Continentals’ next matchup on Saturday, Nov. 24 was another away game, this time against SUNY Polytechnic. The team kept rolling and scored 91 points for the second time this season–matching the score of their first victory–and holding the Wildcats to only 69 points.

Coach Nanyamka Moore had good reason to celebrate their first victory at Hamilton. But after the brief celebration, all eyes turned toward the next game at SUNY Potsdam on Tuesday, Nov. 20.

After a couple days of practice the team hopped on the bus for Potsdam, NY, their first away game of the season. Though the margin of victory was not as large as their first game, the Continentals were still able to walk away with a 68–62 victory. Serbent led the team yet again with 21 points to go along with a career-high 14 rebounds. Arnold contributed 15 points. Steiner, O’Hern, and Mackenzie Aldridge ’20 all provided key buckets in the win. After the game the team traveled back to Clinton where they departed to their respective Thanksgiving destinations for a few days before returning back to campus on Friday, Nov. 23.

The Continentals’ next matchup on Saturday, Nov. 24 was another away game, this time against SUNY Polytechnic. The team kept rolling and scored 91 points for the second time this season–matching the score of their first victory–and holding the Wildcats to only 69 points.

The Continentals shot 55 percent from the field and hauled in 42 rebounds–18 more than their opponent. Caterisano led the team with career-highs of 13 points and nine boards.

Serbent, Glemaud, and Zarle each added 10 points, while Lansing dropped nine points and five assists. O’Hern, Steiner and Maura Smith ’22 each scored eight points. Senior Kendall Rallins ’19 continued her steady string of performances off the bench scoring key points and dropping three assists on the host Wildcats.

After an impressive couple of games to start off the 2018–2019 season, Serbent earned her career-first NESCAC Athlete of the Week for the week of Monday, Nov. 26. That same Monday, the Continentals set out on the road to face the Utica College Pioneers. After going up 18–6 in the first quarter behind the inspired play of Steiner and Catarisano, the squad kept their foot on the pedal the rest of the way and ended with another victory, this time winning by 16 points with a score of 59–43.

Though the Continentals did not score the 80 points they had been averaging, their defense was notable as they held their opponents to less than 50 points. Steiner led the way with 14 points, which consisted of a career-best four three-pointers. Arnold had 10 rebounds and nine points, while O’Hern was active all over the court, ending with eight points, seven rebounds, four assists, and three steals. Caterisano contributed with eight points and two blocks off the bench, while first-year Smith added six points off of two three pointers. At 4–0 the coach staff likes to say that the hoops train “keeps rolling.”

To end their busy week, they will also be participating in the Ed Hockenbury Classic at Norwich University in Northfield, VT on Friday, Nov. 30 and Saturday, Dec. 1. On Friday the team will match up against Framingham State University at 8:00 P.M. Depending on the outcome of that game, the team will turn around and play another game on Saturday, Dec. 1, time to be decided, before returning home to play a few more games. These home games will be against Union College on Tuesday, Dec. 4 at 6:00 P.M. and William Smith College on Thursday, Dec. 1 at 6:00 P.M., both in the Margaret Bundy Scott Field House.