POUGHKEEPSIE, NY - Taking the court for the first time since Feb. 19th, the Swarthmore women's basketball team fell in the first game of the season to Hamilton College, losing to the Continentals by a score of 62-57.
On the offensive side of the ball, the Garnet saw three players put up double digit points, with sophomore
Alyssa Hayashi knocking down 17, first year
Anna Hansson notching 12, and first year
Raven Richardson putting up 10. Defensively, Hansson played a big role as well, leading the team with 11 rebounds while also tallying one block. Also playing important roles on the defensive end were sophomore
Norah Wingfield and senior
Kim Kockenmeister, with Wingfield putting up a team leading three blocks and Kockenmeister posting two steals.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Garnet struck first just nine seconds into the contest when Hayashi rattled in a three to give the Garnet their first lead of the game. While the Continentals would respond with a jumper of their own less than twenty seconds later, buckets from Richardson and Wingfield extended Swarthmore's lead to 7-2.
- Three straight Hamilton baskets would give the Continentals their first lead of the match at 8-7, before a jumper from Hayashi retook the lead for the Garnet at 9-8 with just under five minutes to play in the period. A three from sophomore
T Sallie would extend the Garnet's lead to 4 at 12-8, before a three from Hamilton shrunk Swarthmore's advantage back to just one point. Two made foul shots from Richardson would widen the margin once again before a Hamilton three tied it up at 14, a scoreline that would hold into the break.
- Hamilton would be first out the gate in the second quarter, scoring six unanswered points to go up 20-14. Seemingly emboldened by a Kockenmesiter layup to stop the run, the Garnet found their rhythm once again, keeping pace with and eventually surpassing the Hamilton offensive attack, going up by a score of 25-24 with 4:24 left to play in the half. The two squads would trade scores to tie the game at 27-all, before three free throws from Hamilton pushed the Continentals lead to 30-27 going into the break.
- Hamilton would extend their lead at the beginning of the third, going up 33-27 before the Garnet were able to answer back with a made Wingfield free throw. The Garnet would dominate the scoring over the next two minutes of play, shrinking the Hamilton margin with jumpers rattled in by Richardson and sophomore
Carolina Lopez before two perfect foul shots from Hayashi gave the Garnet the lead at 34-33, their first in nearly eight minutes of play. Both teams would proceed to exchange baskets throughout the rest of the quarter, with neither able to meaningfully pull away. Hamilton finally managed a one point lead at 42-41 with 48 seconds left, a margain that stuck going into the final break.
- While Hamilton struck first in the fourth quarter, extending their lead to 44-41, the Garnet were not content to simply sit back and watch, retaking a 46-44 advantage off of two free throws from Hansson and an arcing three from Hayashi. With neither team able to gain an edge over the other, both squads traded baskets, eventually finding themselves tied at 48 with 6:43 left to play. From here, Hamilton was finally able to pull away, taking an eight point lead at 56-48 before the Garnet were able to respond with a jumper from Richardson. While the Garnet battled, even able to shrink the Continental lead to as little as 60-57 in the waning seconds of the contest, it was too little too late as Hamilton escaped with a 57-52 victory.
- The Garnet are now 0-1 on the season.
GARNET LEADERS
- Points: Hayashi (17), Hansson (12), Richardson (10)
- Rebounds: Hansson (11), Richardson (8), Wingfield (5)
- Assists: Hayashi (4), Sallie (3)
- Blocks: Wingfield (3), Hansson (1), Anderson (1)
- Steals: Hayashi (2), Kockenmesiter (2)
UP NEXT
Rounding out the Hotchberg Tip-Off Classic, the Garnet will play Nazareth College on Saturday, Nov. 12th at 2:00 p.m.
