W. basketball opens Conference play with a win

The Hopkins women’s basketball team ended their two-game losing streak against the McDaniel College Green Terror with a 75-53 Centennial Conference-opening victory. After Tuesday night’s game, the Jays sit at 18-6 all time in Centennial Conference openers.

Sophomore forward and center Rory Cole discussed how the victory will help the team gain confidence heading into the Conference slate.

“[Tuesday night] was a great team win, and it gives us a ton of confidence moving forward into our next Conference games because it showed us how well we can play as a team,” Cole said.

A little over four minutes into the first quarter, Hopkins quickly gained a 12-5 lead with five different players getting on the scoreboard. After a crucial three-pointer by sophomore guard Lillian Scott, the Jays stretched the lead to 19-7 with three minutes remaining in the first quarter. It turned the game around.

“Our second time down the floor, we’d already scored once off of a fast break and forced a stop. One of the guards came down and drilled a three-pointer off of a second fast break,” Cole said. “McDaniel had to call a timeout a minute into the game, but by that point we’d already set the tone of the game and were able to keep McDaniel on their heels for most of the rest of the game.”

The Green Terror responded with a six-point run, but Hopkins scored two layups to secure a 23-13 lead at the end of the first quarter.

The Blue Jays made 10 of their 18 shots from the field and three of their six shots behind the arc during the first quarter.

Both teams started the second quarter with field goals. The Green Terror’s junior guard Jasmine Smith sunk a three-pointer, which slightly closed the gap.

Despite their dwindling lead, the Jays took advantage of multiple free-throw opportunities, making the score 35-18 with two minutes left in the first half.

Within the last couple minutes of the second quarter, McDaniel scored two more field goals to make it 35-22 at the end of the half.

At halftime, sophomore guard Madison McGrath led both teams’ scorers with eight points. She also recorded two rebounds and a steal. Scott tallied seven points, two assists, two blocks and three steals. Cole led all players with six rebounds.

Although the Green Terror outscored the Jays in the third quarter, the Jays still had a nine-point lead heading into the fourth. Hopkins also hit four out of five three-pointers in the third quarter, showing their dominance behind the arc.

Freshman guard Maggie Wodicka started off the fourth quarter by making her second three-pointer of the game. Cole followed with a lay-up to give the Jays a 56-42 lead with eight minutes left in the game.

Defensively, the Blue Jays kept the Green Terror from making a single shot within the first six minutes of the fourth quarter.

Senior forward and center Rachel Cook scored the final basket to close the game at 75-53.

The Jays successfully hit 10 of 16 three-pointers throughout the game, making it the most three-pointers the team has scored since 2011.

Alongside their three-pointer success, the Blue Jays were nearly 50 percent from the field. The Jays also kept the Green Terror at a 32.3 percent throughout the game.

Two players reached career-high achievements Tuesday night. McGrath scored a career-high of 16 points, shooting three of four behind the three-point arc, and Cole reached a career-high of 12 rebounds.

Moving forward, the Blue Jays aim to win the Centennial Conference, and the team has already made many strides early this season, especially compared to last season’s performance.

“The team’s playing style is much more cohesive than it was last year. We like to play a much more up-tempo game. We also have a variety of scorers this year. Everyone on our team contributes to every win we earn,” Cole said. “Any five of us can take the floor together, score and force stops. The freshmen are really fun to play with and are a huge addition to our team.”

Although the Jays have seen significant development within their first month of their season, they recognize areas of improvement and plan to grow in these areas throughout the remainder of the year.

“We are positive and hopeful for the rest of the season,” Cole said. “We have a lot of growing to do as a team and need to improve in a couple of areas, but we are also very confident in our ability to play with the best.”

Hopkins will return to Goldfarb Gym on Thursday, Dec. 1 at 7 p.m. to face the Swarthmore Garnet in their second Centennial Conference game.