While most of the student population was at home or otherwise taking a break for Thanksgiving, women’s basketball was getting to work. Over the course of the weekend, they played games against UMBC and Akron in their Thanksgiving tournament, winning the competition. The team is off to a solid start, currently sitting at a record of 6-3 after their win streak was broken on Saturday by Georgetown. I got a chance to sit down with three seniors — forward Sophia Diehl, guard Morgan McMahon and guard Taylor Golembiewski — before that Georgetown game and speak with them about their feelings about the season so far and how the team is preparing for conference play in January. 

All three players agreed that the team has had a strong start to the season and that they have learned a lot about their resilience from the back-to-back games for the tournament.

“I think it taught us what we already knew: This is a really resilient group, going back to back is a high physical toll but this is a really resilient team,” McMahon said.

“I think this tournament was a great opportunity to train our minds under pressure and I think we achieved our goal,” Diehl agreeed.

Earlier in the season the team played UCLA, which was ranked nationally at No. 5 at the time and has only climbed in the rankings since, currently sitting at No. 1. While the team did lose, it was a competitive match overall. I asked the seniors what they learned from playing such a tough opponent. Golembiewski credited Head Coach Ganiyat Adeduntan for her inspiring confidence in the team.

“[Adeduntan] has instilled a lot of confidence into us and that we can really stand together against anybody,” Golembiewski said.

Diehl also spoke to the culture coach Adeduntan has set and discussed how she feels like that attitude has led to a lot of success and confidence amongst the players.

“I think we played unafraid. ‘Respect everyone, fear no one,’ is another thing [Adeduntan] says a lot,” Diehl said.

McMahon added that she felt like their start to the season was very much something they could keep going, even with a few speed bumps.

“[We are] trying to build on that momentum in practice and individual workouts and carrying that to games,” McMahon said. “As a group as well, I think we’re really starting to gel and I think keeping that going as well [is a goal].”

I asked the players what their focus was moving forward, and they all mentioned the same things: communication on the defensive end, finishing the play and rebounding.

While Diehl primarily focused on those topics, McMahon and Golembiewski also spoke about finding and solidifying their identity as a team. Golembiewski pointed specifically towards the team’s defense, which has been reasonably stalwart. While the team manages to score just over 70 points per game on average, their defense has held opponents to an even lower rate than that, as they currently only allow about 63 points on average.

The team largely prevents inside shots, having taken nearly 80 more two-point attempts than their opponents through nine games, and allows a far lower three-point percentage than they themselves have shot. The one defensive statistic the team currently struggles in is blocks, where they average only just over one per game. 

When asked about team and personal goals, all three players expressed their desires to win a Patriot League title. McMahon also said that the team was really looking to stick to their brand of basketball.

“[We want to be] going out every game and playing Colgate basketball, playing our brand of basketball: tough, energetic, gritty,” McMahon explained

Golembiewski also added that the team is really meshing, and looking to us each other a lot, both on and off the court.

“Relying on each other and trusting each other really makes a team great,” Golembiewski said.

Finally, I asked the players if they had anything they would like to say to the fans. Diehl encouraged both students and the community to come out and support the team who currently has a low average attendance.

“I think [student and community] support is amazing, the more fans the better we play […]. We love a packed gym, so don’t be shy,” Diehl said.

McMahon and Golembiewski echoed this sentiment.

“I love interacting with fans, and I think any support is going to be reciprocated,” McMahon said.

“Their presence is a big thing and has a big impact on us,” Golembiewski added. “For me and our teammates, it gives us a big reason to be together and work hard.”

The team played and won against Union on Cotterell Court on Dec. 10. They now have three more games before they open conference play at Army, including another home game against Pitt-Johnstown on Dec. 14 at 3 p.m. While the team’s final two non-conference games are on the road against Le Moyne and Canisius, the team returns to Cotterell Court at 2 p.m. on Jan. 5 for their first home conference game against Bucknell.