After losing a close game to Alaska Anchorage, the women’s basketball team grabbed its first two wins of the season, beating Alaska Fairbanks and Lake Superior.
The Chargers faced the Seawolves at Anchorage, finishing the game with a score of 69-61.
“Anchorage was ranked second in DII,” junior forward Maverick Delp said. “We started with a 9-2 run on them right in the beginning of the game, but ended up losing in the fourth quarter.”
Senior guard Grace Touchette led the Chargers with a total of 18 points, while junior forward Sydney Mills gained 13 rebounds.
“Grace had a great game, she really gets us going,” Delp said. “She’s a great leader. And then Sydney, on the boards, just got an insane number of rebounds.”
Despite the loss, Delp said the Chargers left the game feeling positive for the next day.
“It was honestly a big confidence boost,” Delp said. “We were right there, and we realized we can play with the top. They usually force a ton of turnovers, and we ended up being pretty menial with our turnovers compared to other teams.”
The next day, the Chargers got their first win of the season against the Fairbanks Nanooks.
“Fairbanks was a pretty good team as well, they played well, but we put them away,” Delp said.
Touchette led the team in scoring again, dropping 18 points. She was followed by freshman guard Caitlin Splain, who finished with 17 points in just 18 minutes.
“Splain had another great couple of games for hitting threes,” Delp said.
Assistant Coach Brianna Brennan said the team’s freshmen have been exceeding expectations thus far.
“This year’s freshmen have really come in strong,” Brennan said. “They are very competitive, and we want that for our program. They’ve worked extremely hard on their own game and on soaking up all the knowledge they could in pre-season. They’re able to do so well because our upperclassmen leadership is great. I’m excited to see what they can do over the season and over the next couple years.”
The Chargers returned to campus for their home opener on Sunday, where they beat Lake Superior 89-55.
“We wanted to really protect our home court,” Delp said.
Mills led the Chargers at home, putting up 16 points and six rebounds..
“With rebounds, you either go after it or you stand and chill,” Brennan said. “Syd goes after it every time.”
With the lead being as large as it was, 13 of the 16 Charger team members were able to play at some point during the game.
“Our starters did a great job kicking it off, we took the lead early and didn’t really back down,” Brennan said. “To be able to get different girls some playing time and experience was really great. All players who are currently able to play work super hard every day at practice, so it’s super cool to see them out there.”
The Chargers will have their first conference game against Kentucky Wesleyan College on Dec. 2 at 5:30 p.m.
“Going into our conference games is definitely nerve wracking, but it’s great because all the opportunities you get on this team are amazing,” freshman guard Peighton Nelson said. “I’m super excited, not only for the games, but also being able to travel with everyone.”