The AU women’s basketball team had a record-setting day Feb. 11, when the Eagles defeated the Holy Cross Crusaders 67-47 at Bender Arena.
The Eagles (18-6, 10-0 PL) started off Patriot League play with 10 consecutive wins for the first time in program history, giving them a three-game edge in the conference standings. It is also the best start a Patriot League team has gotten off to in seven years.
“A big part of that success is our preparation,” said Lisa Strack, who recorded 13 points and five steals. “But an important thing we talked about is it’s not over, so we have to keep looking forward to the next practice and the next game and keep preparing.”
The Eagles were in a tough battle against Holy Cross (13-12, 4-6 PL) in the first half, as neither team built a lead of more than three points.
AU took a 25-23 lead into halftime following Tori Halvorsen’s layup with 30 seconds left in the first half.
The contest remained competitive in the first nine minutes of the second half, as the Eagles led 38-35 with 11:06 to play. But AU broke the game open with a quick 12-0 run over the next 2:51.
“[That run] was big because we started to get some offense off of our defense,” AU Head Coach Matt Corkery said. “We did a better job executing in the half court and found a lineup that was effective for us. It was a big difference in the game.”
Alexis Dobbs, who tallied 10 points on the afternoon, started the run with back-to-back 3-pointers. AU knocked down eight 3-pointers in the game, with seven of those coming in the second half.
“It’s huge knocking down those 3-pointers,” Strack said. “It’s a big component of our game, and it got us going.”
The Eagles received strong play off the bench from Ti’Asia McGeorge, who chipped in nine points on three 3-pointers for AU and contained Holy Cross guard Alex Smith.
“That’s what we expect from her,” said Jen Dumiak, who led the Eagles with 14 points and seven rebounds. “She’s one of the best defenders on our team. She comes in and brings a lot of energy and locks down people guarding the ball.”
One of the big turnarounds for AU was its ability to force turnovers and increase the tempo of the game. For the fifth straight game, the Eagles forced at least 20 turnovers.
“[The girls] wanted to pressure them on defense and press,” Corkery said. “We responded positively and picked up our defensive energy.”
AU will next travel to Annapolis, Md., to take on the Navy Midshipmen Feb. 15.
The defending Patriot League Champions, Navy is second in the conference this season with a 7-3 PL record.
Strack will need 16 points in the game to reach 1,000 points for her AU career.
