This season, the Millersville women’s basketball team has been on fire. The Lady Marauders are ranked a No. 24 in their division. The team is 5-1 in conference games, and 15-4 overall.
The Marauders have worked hard to get where they are this season. They currently hold top spot in the PSAC Eastern Division rankings. “We put our own pressure on ourselves everyday at practice,” said coach Mary Fleig. Their hard work has been paying off.
Yet, Jan. 27, they suffered a frustrating loss. They met the Cheyney Wolves without the home-court advantage, but with a better record.
The Lady Marauders entered the game with a seven-game winning streak, while their opponent was 2-2 for the season.
The Marauders could only manage 17 points in the first half, and were forced to watch as the Wolves pulled ahead by 17 points.
After halftime, the Marauders came back on to the court determined to make up for the dismal first half. An awesome effort in the game’s final 20 minutes brought the team 41 points, but it was not enough. The women’s undefeated title was denied by the 67-58 loss to Cheyney University.
The loss was Millersville’s first to Cheyney in 38 straight games. Cheyney was the first team to score 57 or more points off the Marauders since Indiana University of Pennsylvania managed the feat on Jan. 3, where they came up with 67 points. However, the Marauders refuse to let the game negatively impact their season. “We learned so much playing on the road at Cheyney. That loss has inspired us for the rest of the entire season,” Fleig said.
Despite losing, three Marauders had big days. Mashira Newman, Raquel Green, and Aiesha Bellamy all racked up points in the double digits. Newman came up with 16 points, Green took 14, and Bellamy managed 10.
There was no time to dwell on the loss, however, as the team was scheduled to face Mansfield University on Jan. 30.
The Millersville women were eager to display their prowess on the court, and with the lead scoring defense in the league, the Marauders made quick work of the Mansfield Mountaineers.
The Lady Marauders, again without the home-court advantage, were driven to win. The team started off strong, and kept the game scoreless for about three minutes before Ashley Moyer scored the game’s first basket. In the beginning of the first, the Mountaineers were plagued by turnovers, and the Marauders found it easy to add points.
Leaving the court at the end of the first half, Millersville had proven themselves more than worthy of their ranking, leaving the Mountaineers to try and make up for a 23-point deficit. The score was 42-19. Green accounted for 14 of the team’s 42 points.
In the second half, Green, Jenna Craig, and Newman helped add to the Marauders total. The Mountaineers came back out on court with a good scoring offense, but could not touch the Lady Marauder’s lead. The team beat Mansfield 59-40.
Newman, a freshman, has been having an incredible season. She currently leads the division in steals along with Brooque Williams of IUP, a senior. Out of Millersville’s total of 16 steals, Newman was responsible for four. She now has a season total of 70, bringing her within one steal of Safiyyah Bashir’s record which has been untouched since 1998.
Even with the earlier loss to Cheyney, the team remains ahead in the rankings. They are currently first in the PSAC Eastern Division overall. Their closest competitor, Kutztown University, is 4-2 in conference games this season. When the two teams met earlier this season, Millersville defeated Kutztown 61-42.
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