The American University women’s basketball team (0-2) lost their home opener to the Fairleigh Dickinson Knights (2-0) by a score of 62-59 on Nov. 8.
American entered the game looking to improve after a tough outing against the Virginia Cavaliers earlier in the week, where they lost 104-68. Fairleigh Dickinson came into this game with a win against Division II Dominican University New York.
It was a rather slow start for both sides as neither team could find a footing in the paint. The Eagles found themselves at the free throw line six times, but the team only hit 50 percent from the line in the first quarter. In the final two minutes of the quarter, American went on a 4-0 run to end the first quarter down 13-12. Freshman guard Molly Driscoll led the team in scoring with a lone 3-pointer.
The second quarter saw the Eagles fly out of the gate with fifth-year player Ivy Bales scoring a mid range shot assisted by sophomore Lexi Salazar. Salazar led the team with 5 assists in the second quarter, four coming within the first two minutes. American rallied to take their largest lead of the game, going up 23-18 in just under three minutes, The Knights had an offensive surge of their own, shooting 50 percent from beyond the arc in six attempts. Freshman guard Ava Renninger led the Knights with 8 points. Fairleigh Dickinson struggled with possession, as American had 3 steals in the quarter.
The Eagles dominated in the paint, with 16 points inside the lane compared to the Knights’ 2. Junior guard Anna Rescifina led American in scoring with 9 points at the half. The Eagles led by one at half, up 33-32. Head coach Tiffany Coll cited her team’s success on her players spreading the ball significantly better in the second quarter, setting up her players for open shots.
The third quarter saw both teams slow down their pace shooting less from the field. Freshman forward Cecilia Kay made her presence in the paint known, totaling her points to 8 and adding 6 boards to her name. She finished the game by leading the team with 10 rebounds. The Eagles patrolled the boards all quarter, out rebounding the Knights 15 to 7. Fairleigh Dickinson missed all 3 free throw attempts in the third quarter, allowing American to maintain their 44-42 lead heading into the last quarter.
The fourth quarter saw the Eagles run out of steam, as they shot 3 of 12 attempts from the field and 8 of 13 from the line. In the final seconds of the game, Rescifina attempted a long 3-pointer that was blocked. The ball landed in the hands of junior guard Laura Nogues, who was fouled on her 3-point attempt. She made two of three attempts from behind the foul line and hustled to use her final foul on Renninger, leaving only one-tenth of a second remaining on the clock.
The Knights took the lead with six minutes to go and didn’t look back, holding onto their advantage for the rest of the game, winning with a final score of 62-59. American had opportunities in the last minute to take the lead but could not capitalize on chances at the line and on fast break opportunities.
Renninger led the Knights with 17 points on 5-15 shooting. The game was a momentous occasion for Fairleigh Dickinson coach Stephanie Gaitley, who notched her 700th career win. She has been coaching Division I basketball since 1981.
Rescifina said that the team needed to “want it more” going into their next matchup against Longwood. She finished the game with 19 points, shooting 8-18 from the field. Rescifina also said the team was growing in their first matches and learning to work with each other, citing her trust, especially in her freshman teammates.
“We shoot well in practice,” Rescifina said. “My teammates even make their shots when I’m guarding them.”
Coll noted the team’s subpar free throw percentage, saying “We have to hit those.” The Eagles left 8 points on the board at the free-throw line in their 3 point loss. Coll discussed their plans for Longwood’s game on Wednesday, saying that the team had to work on neutralizing their fast-paced attack.
American goes into Saturday’s game searching for their first win against La Salle University (1-2) at Bender Arena.
“Each game we grow as a team,” Coll said. “I told my players we will have opportunities to correct our mistakes in these upcoming games.”
This article was edited by Connor Sturniolo, Delaney Hoke, and Abigail Turner. Copy editing done by Luna Jinks, Emma Brown, Sabine Kanter-Huchting and Nicole Kariuki.
