Women’s Basketball Take Down First-Place Navy Raiders Hold an 8-14 Overall Record, Go 2-0 on theWeek

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 The women’s basketball team had a very successful game against Navy, besting the Midshipmen by eight points. The final score was 69-61 with the Raiders receiving plenty of supplemental scoring from its bench. 

The women’s basketball team finished off the week with two Patriot League wins. The Raiders dominated against Holy Cross 70-52, and just three days later knocked Navy off first-place 69-61 – their first win over a first-place team since 2013. At the weekend’s end, the Raider’s record stood at 8-14, with their Patriot League record moving to 5-6.

As a result, Navy dropped to 16-6 and 9-2. The win ties Colgate with Loyola at 5-6 and a shared possession of sixth place in the Patriot League. Under first-year head coach Bill Cleary, the Raiders are now 2-0 against Holy Cross. 

“I think our coach has done an amazing job turning this program around. It is not easy trying to change a culture that hasn’t won in the past so there have definitely been some ups and downs, but I think we have done a great job buying into what he says. I think we are starting to see the results and how what he teaches is extremely successful,” junior guard Kateri Stone said. 

“In terms of the team, the group we have – none of us have much playing experience. So when you mix that with a whole new system he has implemented on offense and defense, in a sense we are all freshmen. So we have had a lot of growing pains this year, but we are learning to work well together, and I think the offense really works to our individual strengths,” Stone said, having led the team with 15 points on Saturday night against former first-place team Navy. 

First-year Rachel Thompson scored seven points and had a season high seven assists. At 4.5 rebounds per game, sophomore forward Summer King moves up to second on the team in rebounding. She finished with a grand total of nine points and nine rebounds against Navy on Saturday night. Stone attributes offensive opportunities to rebounds by both King and junior forward Tori Pozsonyi. 

Senior guard Katie Curtis and senior center Steph Poland scored a combined 17 points against Navy (nine for Curtis and eight for Poland). First-year forward Abby Schubiger also played a leading role in the game and scored a total of 10 points for the Raiders. 

“I think these past couple games have really helped us realize that we are as good as anyone in the league. We have proven that we can beat out the number one team, so I think that gives us a lot of confidence. It’s also an important reminder that we have to bring energy and effort day-in and day-out because it doesn’t matter how much talent we have, it’s

all about who wants it more,” Stone said. 

The Raiders look forward to a road trip to Army West Point on Wednesday. With a fourth place standing in the Patriot League after a 67-48 win over Loyola, Army is 16-6 overall. Last month in Hamilton, Colgate fell to Army 69-76; however, coming off two Patriot League wins is sure to give the Raiders the confidence they need going into this rematch.