Box Score STEUBENVILLE, Ohio—Despite shooting 69.6 percent in the second half, the Lady Barons were unable to overcome a half-time seven-point deficit and ultimately fell 58-53 to Chatham University.
"We dug ourselves a hole in the first half, and with how Chatham was executing, it proved to be fatal," head women's basketball coach Suzy Delaney said. "I was proud of what I saw from our girls, fighting back and to give us a chance at the end. It's all a part of the learning process for us."
The Lady Barons struggled offensively in the first half, only shooting 29 percent from the field. Early fouls by sophomore guard Iliana Gonzales, one of the team's best shooters, did not help the team as Gonzales sat the bench for the better part of the first half.
"Obviously, one player doesn't make the team, but it probably didn't help that she had to sit," Delaney said. "If she goes out, we have to have someone else ready to go in and take her spot. She is a big part of our offense, though."
Gonzales was able to stay out of foul trouble for the second half, contributing to the Lady Barons comeback with eight points in the second half and finishing with 12 points.
A large part of the Lady Barons comeback in the second half was the jump shooting of senior forward Lacey Huck, who finished with a double-double of 21 points and 12 rebounds. With Huck's jump shooting sucking the defense out to guard her, other girls were able to take advantage of more space under the hoop, creating better looks and easier shots.
"We doubled our shot production in the second half, so we were getting way more shots," Delaney said. "At the end there, our girls played how I expected them to play the whole game and how they expect themselves to play."
The Lady Barons were able to go on a 10-2 run late in the second half due to the play of freshman guard Sarah Schriner. Delaney believes that her leadership as a point guard on both sides of the ball was able to keep the Lady Barons in the game late.
"I thought Sarah definitely gave us a lift," Delaney said. "She seemed to play pretty aggressively all game, which is what we want. She was able to make a positive impact, being a leader on both sides of the court."
This close loss leaves a bitter taste in the Lady Barons' mouths as they get nearer to securing their first win of the season, but Delaney said they can learn from this game.
"We don't want to forget how we are feeling after this loss," Delaney said.
The Lady Barons look to make some more adjustments offensively and defensively on the road against Waynesburg on November 24 at 7 pm.
