The Clark University Cougars began their NEWMAC play on Saturday
, Jan. 17, with one for the ages, winning 62-61 against the MIT Engineers. Despite the ice and snow pelting the Kneller, 162 excited fans showed up for the aptly named “White-Out” match, and did not leave disappointed. The lead was not close for a while as the Cougars got out to an 18-point lead in the 1st quarter, but the Engineers were able to chip away at the lead, eventually tying or taking it twice in the 4th quarter. However, timely free throws by Freshman Atiya Watson and increased defensive pressure allowed the Cougars to hold on and come home with the victory.
For the first New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) game at 1:00 p.m. on a wintery Saturday, the Kneller had a postseason atmosphere about it. It was evident that both sides were frustrated at their lackluster shooting performances, the Cougars especially so after such a great first quarter. Among quieter moments in the gym, you could hear the Cougars coaching staff lobbying to the referees about the previous possession, yelling, “That’s the same call on the other end!” Confusion erupted in the third quarter when Junior Catherine Antwi was called for a technical foul after a timeout for grabbing the rim. Despite all the noise, the Cougars were able to focus and create enough offense to create shooting fouls and disrupt the Engineers’ momentum.
Neither team shot particularly well from beyond the arc, which meant the Cougars had to scrap on every offensive possession. 11 points came off of second-chance opportunities, and 17 points came from fast breaks. Defensive pressure, though, was the real shot creator for the Cougars, giving them 25 points off of turnovers. Standout defenders of the match include Watson and Senior Kiley Drezek, each swiping four steals, and Junior Olivia Shipley, tying a season high four blocks. Watson led the team with 17 points, including the game-winning free throws.
The Scarlet and White will tally this as a win, but probably one they’ll want to clean up going into the rest of NEWMAC play, especially as they’ll be facing #4 nationally ranked Smith College the first week of Feb.
