The women’s basketball team started the season off with a bang, tallying another victory after defeating the College of Saint Elizabeth on Monday.
Following their 60-34 win, Ramapo increased their record to 4-0 before earning their fifth straight victory over Kean University last night. Out of all of these games, Ramapo has won by an average margin of 18.4 points, including a 58-15 blowout over Medgar Evers College to open the season. They don’t have any inflated egos over their record, though.
“It’s early,” sophomore Kelly Haspel said. “We haven’t proven anything yet. There are still a lot of games to play.”
In reality, the beginning of the season hasn’t been as easy as the women have made it look. Behind every win was a team scrambling to assemble a healthy roster, with four players sitting out with injuries ranging from a broken foot to concussions. On top of that, the new players struggled to find their niche in the college environment, forced to learn on the go when the games started. Even with all these issues, the team has pulled through and feels ready for the rest of the season.
“We’re off to a good start, especially since we had to play without some starters,” Haspel said. “We have the right chemistry; I think we can be better than last year.”
They’re certainly putting up the numbers to prove it. In their last game, sophomore Alex Milne and junior Micaela Moore each posted 10 points while Haspel added eight. Senior and captain Faith Flannery finished the job with seven points of her own. Freshman Anna Fucci kept the intensity of the Roadrunners running high, helping force many of the Screaming Eagles’ 35 turnovers during the game. Jerkovich and Alayna Donadio also returned on Monday from a back injury and a head injury, respectively, to put Ramapo at full strength for the first time this year. Haspel said the lopsided victory presented them with a “good game for them to ease back in.”
The entire team is glad to have their full roster healthy and ready to play, especially considering the upcoming games on their schedule. With Rutgers-Camden University on Saturday and Montclair University and The College of New Jersey the following days, the team is in for a tough week of New Jersey Athletic Conference division games.
“These first few games were just the beginning,” Haspel said. “These next four games are really the start to the season.”
Ramapo is confident in its ability to stay focused and approach the schedule one day at a time. These first few games have given them ample time to get ready for their first big matchup, and the players feel sure they will maintain their hot start and “are prepared as we can be,” according to Haspel.
Prior to defeating Kean, Haspel said her team was anxious to secure a victory at home against one of their biggest rivals. Ramapo delivered, topping Kean 65-57.
“We’re ready for a good game,” she said.
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ksheal@ramapo.edu
