Women’s basketball pushes forward

By: Maggie Tifft, Assistant Sports Editor

The women’s basketball team looks to find seamless play with two games on the road this weekend after dropping their first five games of the season.

The Lady Griffs continue to put together quarters of excellence, but have yet to see the end results tip their way. With players like Irene Rey Pineda coming off the bench and building the bridge between new and returning players, Head Coach Tiffany Swoffard is confident her team can compete this weekend and prepare for tough MAAC competition.

“It’s [all] about what they can do individually to contribute to the whole and [Irene] embodies that. She gives us that spark coming off the bench, and even if she is playing well or shooting well she’s hungry for more,” said Coach Swoffard. Rey Pineda currently sits third on the team with 47 points, and leads the team with a .600 three point percentage.

Alongside Rey Pineda, the Griffs continue to be led by Shariah Gailes, who has started every game in her junior season, with 63 points and 30 rebounds. With five games under their belt, and the majority of minutes on the court consisting of newcomers, the team is still building the chemistry and consistency needed to string together 40 minutes of complete play.

“We talked about it as a program, but we’re interested in the growth that we can make in the next two weeks. We played five games in 14 days, so I’m impressed with how much growth we have seen already,” continued Coach Swoffard. Throughout five games the team has shown consistency in the middle quarters, and have continued to decrease turnovers while dominating the boards. To Coach Swoffard, combining those numbers with a continued high level of execution on offense will further the Griffs’ chances at seeing their first win of the season. 

The Griffs travel to Ohio to face the University of Dayton on Friday at 7 p.m. before closing out the weekend at the University of Cincinnati Sunday at 2 p.m.