On Wednesday, the Hoyas defeated New Hampshire 90-60 in McDonough Arena behind sophomore guard Mary Lisicky’s 21 points on 5-6 three-point shooting. Junior forward Rebekkah Brunson grabbed her 500th rebound for the Hoyas on the way to her third double-double of the season.
The Hoyas led 42-37 at the half behind Lisicky’s 15 first-half points. The second half saw the Hoyas’ trademark stifling defense spur a 20-2 run to put the game away. New Hampshire’s lone five points in the final 11 minutes all came from free throws.
Wednesday’s win brings the Hoyas’ streak to five games. So far the team’s run has included an overtime win against George Mason and two wins at the Coca-Cola Women’s Basketball Charity Classic from which the Hoyas emerged as champions despite poor shooting.
The Hoyas had few problems on offense during last Tuesday’s 76-73 overtime win against George Mason. Brunson paced the Hoyas in the hard-fought game with 24 points and 10 rebounds, including a shot with two seconds remaining in regulation sent the game to overtime. In the extra session, the Hoyas’ defense stymied the Patriots. Senior forward Nok Duany scored 5 of her 20 points in overtime to carry the Hoyas to the win.
“It was an important win. They’re one of our local rivals, and it’s important for RPI points at the end of the season,” said Duany. “It was a good battle.”
The Hoyas took their show on the road over Thanksgiving weekend to Bridgeport, Connecticut for the Coca-Cola Women’s Basketball Charity Classic. The Hoyas were tested in the first round by Northeastern in a game marked by an incredible second-half comeback.
Northeastern owned the first half holding the Hoyas to 35.5% shooting which led to a 36-29 halftime deficit. Northeastern opened the second half strong, but the Hoyas’ defense picked up the pace to spur a 17-0 run which would put them in the lead for good on the way to a 79-66 win. Lisicky hit three three-pointers during the run among her 21 points for the night.
“Defense brought us back, no question,” said Knapp. “Our pressure defense gave us some good runs at the basket.”
“We pressed and caused some turnovers. Turning up the intensity, and pressing, and having more chaos and action are good for us,” said Duany.
In the finals, the Hoyas squared off against Hofstra. Again, the Hoyas started sluggish, but only found themselves down 33-27 at halftime.
The Hoyas were awakened in the second half by the energizing play of a pair of first-years, forward Carmen Bruce and guard Leslie Tyburski, who came off the bench to score 11 and 10 points respectively. Despite the scoring off the bench, the Hoyas were still down until Lisicky’s three with 2:12 left tied the game. The Hoyas took over from there opening a four-point lead that Hofstra couldn’t overcome. With the 72-69 win, the Hoyas were crowned champions.
“We were getting all these inside shots that wouldn’t fall, and in the second half we were banging threes,” said Knapp. “We showed a lot of courage, perseverance, and heart. All of those superlatives are appropriate.”
In addition to winning the championship, Lisicky and Duany both were selected to the All-Tournament team. The awards follow Brunson’s first selection as Big East Player of the Week for the week ended November 24. Also encouraging was the play of Bruce and Tyburski, who have shown that they are capable scorers off the bench.
“We have six guards who can come in and relieve the pressure a bit,” said Knapp. “It’s a positive. We have 9 to10 good players we can put in who get in a good flow.”
Despite his happiness with the team’s success, Knapp knows the team can play better, especially on the offensive end.
“The players are starting to realize what we’re talking about when we say we can play better,” said Knapp.
At the start of the year, Knapp instituted a motion-based offense to spread the court more. While the Hoyas have won, they are still adapting to the new scheme.
“It’s an adjusting period and sometimes there’s a letdown,” said Duany.
At 5-0, the Hoyas look poised to storm into Big East play. Knapp believes the team can be 11-0 heading into conference play, but as an experienced veteran, Duany knows that won’t cut it.
“Every team in the Big East is good and every game is a battle,” said Duany. “We need to get better.”
As the victories pile up, the team is gaining a momentum that has been lost for a few seasons. Knapp downplays the importance of momentum above skill, but Duany knows that a confident team is usually a winning team.
“We’re changing our mindset,” said Duany. “People will be shocked when they see us play, and they’ll know we’re out to kick some ass.”
