The St. Thomas women’s basketball team struggled early on against the Mount Saint Vincent Mystics in Halifax Saturday night. The Tommies went down by sixteen in the second quarter, bring them close to what could have been their first loss of the season.
“A little bit of fear set in,” said fifth year player Ashley Bawn. “But we knew that we couldn’t play that bad for that long, so we just ignored the scoreboard and played tough defense.”
In the end, the Tommies were able to come back and win the game 75-66, despite being down four at halftime.
“At about 4:30 in the second quarter we just started to amp up our defense and get in the passing lanes,” said Bawn. The team was able to get some defensive stops that led to key baskets, swinging the momentum in their favour.
Kelly Vass helped spark the St. Thomas defense, finishing the game with six steals. Hilary Goodine had a team high thirteen points, while Ashley Bawn chipped in with twelve points and eight rebounds. Bawn thinks games like these are good for the team, and help prepare them for future.
“We think that it’s really important to have games like this because our close games are always at nationals.”
The Tommies have been to nationals the past three years, but have yet to make it to the finals. A close game like this, while nerve-wracking, provides crucial experience for a team who is looking to go far.
“We still have a lot of work to do on just staying together as a team and not being individuals. So [we have to focus on] just working together when times get tough and figuring out how to win those games.”
