Women’s basketball returned without a victory in San Juan, Puerto Rico, during the Nov. 23-25 Discover Puerto Rico Shootout.
The Revolutionaries lost against West Virginia, Southern Illinois and Charlotte, dipping their record to 3-4.
Game 1:
The Revolutionaries narrowly fell in their first game on Thanksgiving against West Virginia, losing 54-51. Graduate forward Mayowa Taiwo excelled in the contest, scoring 11 points and recording 11 rebounds in 32 minutes, the highest output of the team.
The first quarter began slowly as neither team could crack 40 percent of their shots from the field but ended with a slim 12-10 lead in favor of WVU. The second quarter was much of the same after graduate student guard Nya Lok scored the first points of the quarter with two free throws giving the Revs a much-needed lead, increasing the score to 14-12. While the Revs’ unyielding defense limited the Mountaineers’ 48.4 percent shooting average to 30.6 percent, the first half ended with a 25-20 West Virginia lead.
The third quarter saw a 40-30 West Virginia lead, but the Revolutionaries soon narrowed the lead after going on a 7-0 scoring streak led by senior guard Asjah Inniss as she scored 5 of the 7 points. The final quarter brought out more hustle for the Revolutionaries as they tied the game 45-45. Graduate student forward Maren Durant made a layup in the paint with two minutes to go, tightening WVU’s lead to 52-51, but it was not enough as the Mountaineers edged the Revs out 54-51 by the end of regulation.
Game 2:
The Revolutionaries were subject to a similar fate against Southern Illinois on Nov. 24, losing 65-55. Sophomore guard Nya Robertson led the Revs’ offense, scoring 23 points, including four 3-pointers. Durant scored 10 points and 11 rebounds.
The first quarter was a slow start for the Revolutionaries as they had three fouls within four minutes and only scored 10 points. A 9-1 scoring run early in the second quarter by SIU propelled the Salukis to a commanding 25-11 lead.
Right before halftime, the Revolutionaries narrowed the lead to 10 making the score 41-28. In the third quarter, every basket that the Revs made, SIU matched. Durant, assisted by Taiwo, made a layup and was instantly shown up by SIU’s Seairra Hughes, making the score 44-32. Less than 20 seconds after, Robertson, assisted by Lok, made a 3-pointer but was outdone by Hughes once again, making the score 46-35. The Salukis were in the saddle for most of the quarter as they held at least a 10-point lead.
The fourth quarter showed some promise for the Revolutionaries. They cut the Salukis’ lead down to 7 points but couldn’t finish off the job as Southern Illinois pulled ahead again and increased their lead to 15 points, and SIU eventually finished on top, 65-55.
Game 3:
Game three against Charlotte on Nov. 25 resulted in the Revolutionaries’ third loss in the tournament. Graduate guard Madison Buford led the Revolutionaries’ offense with 7 points, followed by Robertson with 6 points and two rebounds.
This game saw no lead changes as the Revolutionaries struggled offensively early on. The first quarter was a slow start as the Revs scored 7 points and were down by 9 points. The second quarter was more evenly matched as both teams only scored 9 points in the period. The hopeful Revolutionaries’ Durant struck first, followed by Buford’s graceful 3-point shot.
Charlotte built their momentum early in the third quarter, increasing the lead by 12, making the score 30-18 at the end of the period. Both teams missed nine shots during the quarter. Taiwo’s first layup of the quarter gave the Revs a chance to even it out, decreasing the 49ers’ lead to a manageable 7 and making the score 18-25. The fourth quarter saw most of its action in the last six minutes. Durant made a layup to lessen Charlotte’s lead to 14 but was upstaged by the 49ers’ Olivia Porter, increasing their lead to 17. For the first time in the game, the Revolutionaries scored more points than their opponents in the quarter, but the Revs ultimately fell to Charlotte 50-38 in regulation.
The Revolutionaries hope to bounce back against Cheyney on Thursday in the Smith Center at 6 p.m.
