Bison break winning streak, fall to Army

Bison fall to Army 68-63

By Lauren Whelan

Sports Editor

Pullout Quote: “Our preseason goals include a Patriot League Championship victory, and we have every intention of reaching that.”

After a stunning streak of eight consecutive Patriot League wins, the momentum of the women’s basketball team was unfortunately stopped short by a strong Army West Point team. The Bison were handed their first league loss on Jan. 30, when they fell 68-63 in a hard-fought battle with the Black Knights.

Sune Swart ’17 was crucial for the Bison, as she continued her noticeable impact from the beginning of the season and made some important contributions throughout the game. Swart led the team with 18 points for the Orange and Blue, in addition to grabbing six rebounds and two steals.

While the Black Knights quickly jumped ahead with a large lead in the first half, the Bison battled back before halftime hit, going on a 11-0 run. This spark in play was led by Jacquie Klotz ’18 who recorded six of the 11 points, along with contributions from Swart and Kate Walker ’19.

One of the highlights on the day for the Bison was their dominant rebounding, as they won the competition off the boards 45-23. Rebounding has proven to be one of the most integral parts of success for the team thus far this season, as they have out-rebounded their opponent 19 out of 20. Despite their best efforts in a hard-fought battle throughout the second half, the Orange and Blue could not overcome the strong Army team. This result now leaves the two teams tied in first place in the current league standings.

Looking ahead, the Bison hope to rebound and get back on a winning track.

“One of the reasons we have had so much success is that we take the challenges one game at a time. I am looking forward to continuing the path that we are on, and am very excited to see how far that will take us. Our preseason goals include a Patriot League Championship victory, and we have every intention of reaching that,” Klotz said. 

The Orange and Blue will return to Sojka Pavilion to face Holy Cross on Feb. 6.