Lady Knights Drop Two on Weekend Trip to Maine

The Vermont Tech Women's Basketball team endured multiple injuries and fell to their opponents twice over the weekend. On Saturday, December 3rd the girls were defeated by the home Mustangs of Central Maine, while on Sunday they were bested by the YSCC front-runner Seawolves of Southern Maine.

Central Maine's pressure defense hounded the Knights from the start of the game. They switched between a Man and 2-2-1 press to up the tempo and fluster the visitors from Vermont. The Knights could simply not match the intensity of the Mustangs, as although they were playing excellent full and half court defense VTC could simply not score. The game eventually ended with Vermont Tech shooting a dismal 14% from the field, only going 2-17 from 3 point range and hitting on only 50% from the free throw line.

In addition to the poor shooting, CM's physical defense also resulted in a casualty for the Knights, as Freshman Heather Gonier (Williamstown, VT) was on the wrong end of a Mustang elbow. The collision ended in a broken nose for Gonier, who, while okay albeit bloody, was held out of the rest of the contest and the following day versus Southern Maine.

Sophomore Kelsey Ward (Swanton, VT) garnered a double-double in the game, scoring 10 while ripping down 12 rebounds. She was followed closely in the points category by Senior Kelly Vellek (Burlington, VT) who had 8, and in the rebound category by Freshman Alyssa Cassanelli (Barkhamsted, CT) who grabbed 9. The game finished with  final of CM 50 VTC 24. Karlee Biskup and Teira Durgin led the Mustangs in scoring with 11 and 10, while Jaime Swart and Morgan Coop led the team in rebounds with 12 a piece.

On Sunday, the Knights went for the quick turn around facing the Seawolves of Southern Maine in a noon contest. Although playing much better and with a renewed sense of intensity, the Knights could not thwart the top ranked team, succumbing in a final of 61-31. The final, however, belies the actual closeness and intensity of the game.

Vermont Tech put a scare into the conference leaders, not backing down and playing a few different defenses that flustered the home team. The Seawolves could not get into a rhythm on the offensive end, and by their Freshman six footer, Marissa Welch who already had 12 rebounds on her way to 13 that went along with her 16 points, getting into foul trouble in the first half the Knights were able to keep their deficit at 9 going into the break. The score was 26-17, Cassanelli leading the Knights with 7 points.

The second half saw much of the same effort level from the visitors, as the Knights coontinued to fight, scrap and confuse SM. Ward really came alive in the half, using pure aggression to rip down 12 rebounds, and Freshman Dimequa Rivera (Lebanon, NH) realized her offensive potential scoring a Vermont Tech game high with 11 points, while also taking down 8 rebounds.

Unfortunately, with 14 minutes left in the game Vellek, the point guard who was controlling the game, although not through scoring but through sheer determination, decision making and defensive intensity was felled by a high ankle sprain. She was lost for the game, which with Gonier already out due to her broken nose and Cassanelli hampered by a banged up knee left the Knights slightly shorthanded versus their talented opponents. In the end, Katelyn Benson stepped up for the Seawolves, scoring a game high 18, while Kristal Saavedra had a double-double of 10 points and 11 rebounds.

The Knights are now 2-5 on the season and 2-4 in the YSCC. Coming in to Randolph Center on Wednesday, December 7, will be the NHTI Lynx, who boast an overall record of 7-3, 4-1. Game time is slotted for 6pm.