By By Nick Pipitone
Finishing opponents has been problematic at times this season for Pride women’s basketball. In a 13-point loss to the University of Kentucky in the Pepperdine Thanksgiving Classic Championship Nov. 26, the Pride relinquished a two-point lead at halftime. Against the University of Massachusetts on Dec. 1, the team led by 14 at the half only to hold on for a narrow 59-58 win.
This past Sunday at Central Connecticut State University (CCSU), the Pride was able to put in a full 40-minute effort. The Blue & Gold thoroughly beat the Blue Devils, leading by 12 at halftime and then exploding for 44 second half-points for an emphatic 77-48 win.
It was a big win for a team looking to build confidence going into perhaps its most important game thus far, a televised home match up with area rival St. John’s this Sunday. This week’s two-game winning streak ups the Pride’s mark to 4-2, its best start since the 1997-98 season.
“Any time you win, it gives you more confidence,” head coach Felisha Legette-Jack said. “I have a lot of respect for [head coach] Kim Barnes Arico and St. John’s, but every single game is important to us. We’re going to play it just like we would any other game.”
Escaping UMass after a buzzer-beater miss by Minutewomen forward Kate Mills, the Pride knew it had to put together a complete effort against CCSU. Junior center Vanessa Gidden tallied a team-high 13 points and six rebounds, while freshman point guard Niki Williams posted a career-high 12 points on four-of-six shooting, adding five assists and four steals. Williams played a season-high 21 minutes.
The Pride got off to a quick start, opening the game with a 7-0 run. Midway through the first half the Blue Devils were able to narrow the margin to 22-14, prompting the Blue & Gold to reel off an 11-0 run to take a commanding 18-point lead. CCSU drew the lead to 12 at halftime, but had no such luck in the second half.
The Pride started the half with a 12-2 run, erasing any hope of a Blue Devil rally. By the 13:27 mark, it led 52-28. The team shot a scorching 50-percent from the floor, used all 15 players for at least three minutes and held a team to under 50 points for the first time since the 2003-04 season.
“At UMass we started out on a roll with a big lead and we came out [in the second half] and we were only up by two,” Gidden said. “In this game, coach Jack came in at halftime and said we had to keep going and to not get comfortable with our lead.”
The team is already starting to enjoy the luxury of a deep roster. In this past Sunday’s game, the starting five averaged only 19.9 minutes, an adverse drop off from last season when the starters would regularly play over 35 minutes per game.
Forward Lizanne Murphy said the decrease in playing time is allowing the starters to put a more concentrated effort into their time on the floor.
“This year we can be way more productive with less playing time,” Murphy said. “When you do get that rest, you’re able to run at full speed when you play. It’s hard to be going 100 miles-per-hour for 40 minutes.”
This Sunday the Pride will play its only home game of December and its first since Nov. 22, facing the undefeated Red Storm. Looking to rebound from last season’s 83-70 loss in Jamaica, some players have noted the importance of the match up, both on a team and personal level.
“I think a lot of players from the team last year are coming into this game with a bitter taste,” Murphy said. “This is the big one for New York bragging rights.”
(Photo Courtesy Athletic Dept.)
