Back to Back in the SCIAC

10

Author: Henry Meier

Oxy Women’s Basketball team is beginning to make a tradition out of winning. A year ago, the team celebrated its first Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championship since 1980 and finished the season with the best record in school history. On Saturday the Tigers decided not to wait another 28 years between SCIAC crowns and went out and clinched its second title with a tense 57-54 victory over arch-rival La Verne.

While Oxy had already secured a share of the championship, Saturday’s win was critical because it not only gave them the SCIAC title outright, but clinched home court for the Tigers throughout the all-important SCIAC tournament which determines the conferences automatic bid to the NCAA playoffs.

The game itself was a tightly contested match between two of the SCIAC’s best teams. Earlier in the seasons, La Verne had come from behind to beat Oxy in the final minutes of the game on the Leo’s home court, a game that put the Tigers in a tie for second place after they had already been crushed by Redlands in their first conference game. Still, at 5-2 the team was still in good shape and never doubted they could win the SCIAC championship.

“Getting beat that badly at Redlands could really have hurt our confidence,” Head Coach Heidi Vanderveer said. “But that loss and the one at La Verne really helped us identify some areas we needed to work on to be successful.”

While it was still a heartbreaking loss for the Tigers, ultimately it spurred the Tigers to learn a valuable lesson.

“Teams can’t win a game in five or 35 minutes – we have to play and compete for the whole 40 minutes,” Madeline Rose (sophomore) said. “We had a problem doing this in the beginning of the year and La Verne capitalized on that and taught us our lesson in the first round as we watched our 38-minute lead fall away for a loss.”

This time around the Tigers were playing in front of an electric home crowd in Rush Gymnasium and seemed determined to grind out a win. La Verne however, didn’t just roll over from the get-go. The first half was a seesaw battle for the lead with neither team leading by more than six points. At the end of the first half, despite a strong effort from the Tigers, La Verne led 26-24.

The first 12 minutes of the second half were played in similar fashion, and with eight minutes left in the game, Oxy led by just a point after Brianne Brown (senior) made two free throws. At this point, the Tigers clamped down on defense and rattled off ten straight points while holding the Leopards scoreless for four and a half minutes. The run was highlighted by Gillian Nugent’s (junior) two three-pointers.

“We were able to get some separation with Gil’s three pointer’s during that run and our defense made it possible for us to pull away a bit,” Vanderveer said. “They were getting some good shots, just didn’t go in. Then same thing happened to us.”

Oxy’s eleven point lead quickly disappeared as the Tigers went cold from the field and La Verne took advantage of a missed block out to score a layup, and then a bank three pointer down the stretch that drew the Leopards within two with under a minute to play.

But the team wasn’t about to let another late lead slip away. “I think we all knew we were not going to let that happen again and certainly not at home,” Brown said. “We all dug down deep and found a way to win. That’s what championship teams do.”

After milking the clock, Asha Jordan (senior) missed a contested jumper leaving one possession left for La Verne. The Tigers buckled down and forced the Leopards into a tough shot which was off the mark and after Oxy grabbed the rebound, all the Leo’s could do was foul. After Brown made one of two free throws, the Leopards hurled up a desperation full court shot at the buzzer that fell well short giving the Tigers a 57-54 victory and an uncontested SCIAC title.

Looking back on their title run and comparing to last years, there were mixed feelings, but most felt that this season’s run was more difficult but ultimately more rewarding.

“I think this one was harder because we did win last year and everybody was out to upset us,” Brittany Mally (junior) said. “Personally I am enjoying this one more so far because it’s our 2nd in a row, and we did it with a new coaching staff.”

“I think definitely this year’s was more enjoyable, maybe just because it’s more fresh in my mind,” Brittinee Yasukochi (junior) confirmed. “Last year we were tied for first with two other teams, and being solely in first place this year is pretty awesome.”

While the team allowed itself a brief moment of celebration, they were quick to move on and start preparing for the SCIAC tournament realizing that they need to be at their best in order to get to the NCAA playoffs.

“You spend the whole season telling the team that one loss doesn’t kill you,” Vanderveer said. “But now one loss does knock you out. It’s a definitely a change of mindset.”

The Tigers take on the Whittier Poets in the first round of the SCIAC tournament this Thursday, Feb. 26, in Rush Gymnasium.

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