The Oberlin Review
<< Front page News December 3, 2004

Women lose by 10 to OWU

The Oberlin women’s basketball team embarked in conference play with a hard fought loss against Ohio Wesleyan on Wednesday night. Despite the small crowd and subsequently small talent pool for the 45-second halftime shooting contest, the Yeowomen still put up a commendable performance against an established NCAC powerhouse.

Oberlin played catch up from the start, but finished the first half with intensity and with shooting percentages closely mirroring the Bishops’. Senior Christina Briboneria described the game as a learning experience. “We played well and executed our offense well,” she said. “We just need to cut back on turnovers.”

The Yeowomen trailed just 31-28 at halftime, but could not close, or even reproduce, that slim gap in the second half. The Bishops splintered Oberlin’s hopes with a 13-0 run to produce the biggest disparity of the game at 53-34 with 11:31 to go.

The Yeowomen found a stand-out performance in sophomore Jessica Oram, who made 10 of 13 shots from the floor and all four free throws. Oram led the team in points with 24, while Nicole Burford and Christina Briboneria, both seniors and captains, were a close second and third with 21 and 20. Briboneria also made a game high four three-point shots.

The Bishops were ranked third in the conference in pre-season polls. The final score left the Oberlin team excited to develop a potential barely glimpsed in this matchup. “If we keep playing with this intensity,” Briboneria gleamed, “we can beat a lot of teams in the conference.”

Those watching the struggling women were more apprehensive. Fernando Gattorno, a women’s basketball fanatic, expects more this season. “We need to play more as a team to really contend in conference play.”

Junior forward Meg Reitz also identified the team’s mistakes as more important than its successes. “Ohio Wesleyan has two players (Erica Brizendine and Kelly Heil) that we should’ve worked harder to shut down,” she said. But, in typical Reitz fashion, she left anxious fans with a positive promise: “Next time, we’ll be ready.” The Yeowomen host Earlham College tomorrow at 1 p.m.
 
 

   

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