The Lady Cavs took on the Montclair State Red Hawks but came up short as they lost the Monday, Jan. 23, game by a score of 66-47. The loss dropped the Cavs to 7-10 on the year and 5-4 in CSAC play. The team has also lost three games in a row.
Coming in, the Lady Cavs knew they had a big challenge on their hands as they attempted to stop Red Hawks freshman Melissa Tobie, who averages 17.5 points per game this season.
“I think we got off to a great start in the beginning [of the season] and now that we are reaching the middle of the season we are in a little slump and we need to get back on track,” Brittany Sandone, sophomore guard, said.
MaryKate McCann led all scorers for the Cavs with 12 points while Sandone added 11 and Renee Deas poured in 8 points. McCann finished with six rebounds and Sandone added five of her own.
The Lady Cavs found themselves in trouble early when they were down 10-1 in just the first several minutes of the 1st half.
“I think we need to start playing as a whole again to get back on track improve our record,” Sandone said. “We need to go into games knowing that we will come out with a win instead of hoping we will come out with a win.”
The Cavs didn’t give up, as they kept fighting and grinding each possession. They showed toughness as the Red Hawks went into halftime with a 31-19 lead.
“We as a team just need to find our rhythm again,” Leithie Faison, sophomore guard, said. “We have the potential to do amazing things. It’s just about figuring out individual roles and capitalizing on our mistakes instead of losing confidence.”
During the middle of the second half, the Cavs managed to cut their lead to 13, showing hope for them as the Red Hawks struggled to get a bucket. However, Montclair State again pulled away and put the game out of reach.
Despite their struggles, the Cavs are staying positive for the rest of the season and hoping to reach the playoffs.
“My outlook on the rest of our season is solely positive things,” Michelle Petronaci, sophomore forward, said. “We are only going to excel in every part of our game for the rest of our season. We are going to take it in baby steps but we will end up doing great things at the end, which starts with a win out of every game from here on out.”
The team takes on Centenary College on Saturday, Jan. 28, in a CSAC matchup.
“[We need to] take each game and practice one day at a time,” Faison said. “We realize what we can do and we will do it.”
