Women’s basketball snags first win

By: Maggie Tifft, Assistant Sports Editor

The women’s basketball team notched their first win of the season against Mercyhurst Sunday, Nov. 30 at the Koessler Athletic Center, defeating the Lakers 75–67. With a long break ahead, the Griffs are looking to continue their win streak into December.

The team returned to Buffalo after a long road trip through Ohio, in which they dropped to Dayton and Cincinnati. Friday’s contest saw the Griffs trail by nine to Dayton, a member of the Atlantic 10 conference, before a strong Cincinnati team handed the Griffs their seventh loss of the season with an end score of 96–57. The team then settled back into their home court where they shifted to focus on closing out the nonconference season with strong home contests.

The Griffs had two more games against non MAAC opponents on their schedule, Mercyhurst and Wright State, and if Sunday’s contest against the Lakers showed anything, it was that the team was ready to make a statement.

“For the team's confidence this win was huge. We come in everyday at practice with a high positive attitude and we just look forward to the next day and stacking them to get better,” said Shariah Gailes, the junior who tallied a career high 28 points in Sunday’s game. Gailes continues to be a dominant force for the Griffs, leading the team with 99 points in eight games and 52 rebounds. 

Other contributors to the Griffs’ growth throughout nonconference play include sophomore Irena Rey Pineda, who has started the last three games after remaining second on the team with 77 points.

Head Coach Tiffany Swoffard credits these two, along with the rest of her team, for their resilience and effort throughout the long nonconference play. “I’m really proud of their effort, not just today, but to stick to it and remain steadfast throughout our first couple of games,” said Swoffard.

The Griffs continue to grow each game and connect with each other, finding the chemistry and connection Coach Swoffard has been instilling in this program since she arrived on campus. Combining the decrease in turnovers and the increase in points scored throughout their games, Coach Swoffard believes her team is making the right moves heading into MAAC play.

“Regardless of win or loss, it’s ‘did we do the best, did we perform the best to our potential,’ and I think the difference is we were able to string those days together,” said Swoffard. With a well-deserved rest at home between now and their next few contests, the team has ample time for rest and recovery, before their final battle preparing them for conference play. “This team is a group that knows what our true potential is. Every day they continue to get better and today was an extension of that,” continued Swoffard.

The team’s nonconference finale will be Friday, Dec. 12 at the Koessler Athletic Center, with tipoff at 6:30 p.m. After that, it’s a week-long break before opening conference play at home against the St. Peter Peacocks on Friday, Dec. 19.

Photo courtesy of Tom Wolf