The Bison women’s basketball team began its 2017-2018 season on Nov. 10, traveling to Lawrenceville, N.J. to take on Rider University. They recovered from a 16-point deficit to win 76-71. On Nov. 12, the Bison defeated Akron University 63-52 in their home opener. The team then dropped their second home contest to St. Joseph’s on Nov. 15 by a score of 77-53.

The Bison, who welcomed three new starters into their lineup this year, were trailing 56-50 after three quarters against Rider; however, the Bison scored 26 points in the final quarter and held Rider to only 15. Gia Hayes ’20 gave the Orange and Blue a 61-60 lead with a little over five minutes remaining in the game. Kyi English ’19 sunk a layup to put the Bison ahead again 63-62, a lead which they did not let up for the remainder of the game. Tessa Brugler ’21 saw a lot of action in her first collegiate game, playing 18 minutes, totaling eight rebounds, and recording five points. Ellie Mack ’20 and Catherine Romaine ’18 both tallied five rebounds.

Against Akron University, Kaitlyn Slagus ’19 tallied 20 points while Romaine recorded 13 points, eight rebounds, and three assists. Although the Bison never trailed the Zips, Akron made a comeback in the fourth quarter as they cut the lead to 54-49. Although this was a little close for comfort, Kate Walker ’19 answered with a three pointer, which put the Bison on a 7-0 run. They never looked back, and defeated Akron 63-52.

“It was great to be able to extend the win streak; we say before every game that we have to protect the home court and that was exactly what we were able to do. Even though we were able to come out with the win, the game showed us what we still need to work on to prepare for the rest of the season,” Slagus said.

The win against Akron marked the 29th consecutive win at Sojka for the team. However, a visit from St. Joseph’s broke that streak as the Bison dropped to 2-1 on the season. Walker led the team in scoring with 16 points and Maegan Mikkelsen pulled down a career-high seven rebounds in the losing effort.

The Bison continue their season on Nov. 18, when they travel to Philadelphia to take on Drexel.