The Emory women’s basketball team emerged victorious in a pair of UAA conference games at the WoodPEC last weekend.
Emory bested the Brandeis University (Mass.) Judges Friday and capped the weekend off with a tightly contested match-up against the New York University Violets Sunday. The Eagles’ two victories advanced the squad to 13-5 overall and 4-3 in conference play. Emory is currently ranked fifth in the UAA.
The first game started off even as the Eagles matched Brandeis’s total of 17 points. Sophomore center Ashley Oldshue possessed the hot hand out of the locker room, tallying eight points in the first.
Distancing themselves from their opponent, the Eagles accumulated a six-point lead against Brandeis in the second quarter. Emory only allowed eight points from the Judges’ offense, and Oldshue racked up four more points in the quarter to tally 12 points in the half.
Resembling the defensive play of the second quarter, the Eagles and Judges scored 11 and nine points, respectively, in the third. Senior guard Shellie Kaniut was the Eagles’ most reliable scorer in the quarter, contributing seven of the 11 points.
Head Coach Christy Thomaskutty commented on Brandeis’s style of play and how her team responded to dictate game play.
“Brandeis wants to grind it out, play a physical game and slow down the pace a little bit,” Thomaskutty said. “When we picked the tempo up [the game] was definitely in our favor.”
Determined to outplay Brandeis to the final buzzer, Emory extended its lead in the fourth. Outscoring Brandeis 19-16, the Eagles marked a 61-50 victory against the Judges. Though Brandeis pulled within one point of Emory’s lead in the fourth, the squad quickly responded, building a much more comfortable lead.
Oldshue and Kaniut were two of Emory’s key players in the victory. Leading the team with 19 points, Oldshue was a dominant low-post presence for the Eagles. Playing aggressively on the boards and benefiting the offense, Kaniut grabbed eight rebounds and scored 16 points in the game.
Seeking to replicate their win, the Eagles battled NYU in a game that was competitive to the final buzzer. Although NYU was winless coming into conference play Sunday, the Violets were determined to redeem themselves from their previous failures.
Both teams found an offensive rhythm in the first quarter. Emory barely edged NYU in play, outscoring the Violets 27-25. The Eagles garnered baskets from a plethora of different players and rode the strong offensive presence to a two-point lead after one quarter.
Flipping the script on Emory in the second, NYU dominated the Eagles to close out the first half. The Violets enjoyed a 12-2 run in the latter half of the second quarter. Unable to respond to NYU’s offense, the Eagles fell behind 44-39 at halftime.
Down by five, Emory attempted to erase NYU’s lead in the third quarter. Despite their efforts, NYU kept the play even and matched Emory’s third quarter total of 16 points. Oldshue hit a major jump shot with only three seconds left in the quarter to keep her team within five points of the Violets.
With little more than four minutes to go in the fourth, Emory faced a six point deficit. However a three-point basket by senior guard Fran Sweeney with 4:08 to go began Emory’s steady comeback. Chipping away at NYU’s lead, the Eagles edged a lead.
Thanks in part to the three consecutive baskets by senior guard/forward Michelle Bevan, the Eagles found themselves within one point with less than a minute left to play. NYU failed to answer and trailed by three points with one final opportunity to tie the game. With two seconds remaining, the Violets hoisted a three-point basket that could potentially send the game into overtime, but the equalizer missed. The Eagles flew away with a 78-75 win.
Commending Bevan for her strong play, Thomaskutty explained what made the senior a vital part of the team’s victory.
“What she did offensively and defensively was great, but most importantly it was her rebounding,” Thomaskutty exclaimed. “She led us in rebounding and when Michelle is rebounding, we’re winning games.”
Oldshue affirmed that the team’s defense in the second half is what won Emory the game.
“We stepped up our defense,” Oldshue said. “We were scoring well, but we were still letting [NYU] do what they wanted offensively in the first half. In the second half we really started focusing on defense and getting a couple of stops is what helped us win the game.”
The Eagles’ next competition will take place Friday Feb. 3 against Brandeis in Waltham, Mass.
