By Ajan Caneda

Writer

The women’s basketball team dropped three straight contests this week, on the road to Niagara and St. Francis and at home to Canisius, dropping its record to 1-7 on the season.

At Niagara, the Orange and Blue shot 47.9 percent for the game but fell 61-55. Guard Shelby Romine ’14 scored nine first-half points to keep the Orange and Blue within striking distance and finished with 20 points for the game. Trailing 32-28 at halftime, the Orange and Blue claimed their first lead of the game when Lindsay Horbatuck ’13 scored a lay-up off an assist from Christina Chukwuedo ’12. The Bison won the rebounding (36-24) and shooting battles, but the Purple Eagles came away with the victory.

“We have to cut down on our turnovers and get balanced scoring from all the players on the floor,” head coach Kathy Fedorjaka said. “I believe in the potential of this group and that we are staying cohesive during our early season challenges.”

After the loss at Niagara, the Bison traveled to Loretto, Pa. to face St. Francis. The Bison fell 70-53. Turnovers hampered the Orange and Blue as they had 23 to St. Francis’s 12, allowing the Red Flash to get off to a 16-9 run in the first 14 minutes of the game. Both teams struggled shooting in the first half as the Bison shot four for 21 from the field while St. Francis went nine for 34. In the second half, the Orange and Blue as shot 48.1 percent but St. Francis responded by shooting 50 percent from the field. In the loss, Horbatuck had her first double-double of the season with 15 points and 11 rebounds.

On Wednesday, the Orange and Blue concluded their three-game stretch with a 55-47 loss to Canisius at home. A ten-point deficit in the first half kept the Bison from gaining an edge. The Orange and Blue forced 24 turnovers, but only scored ten points off those turnovers. Alyssa Dunn ’13 finished with 13 points and three steals while Micki Impellizeri ’15 had a defensive showcase with five steals.

“Despite our record, I remain very optimistic about where are team can go this season, especially by the time we hit Patriot League play,” Fedorjaka said. “We have a lot of the pieces, but now just need to gel those pieces together. We’ve emphasized perseverance and staying the course, the results will come if we keep working hard and doing the right things.”

The Bison travel to Newark, N.J. to take on NJIT on Dec. 3.