BRISTOL, R.I.—Once again the Gordon Women's Basketball team put together a top notch defensive performance against one of the Commonwealth Coast Conference's elite in Roger Williams. However, the Hawks deep bench helped them pull away from a short-handed Fighting Scots squad in the second half, winning a 55-46 battle. Brooke Kratche (Chagrin Falls, Ohio) was the game's leading scorer with 16 points, while Kristen Smith (Littleton, Mass.) added 13 for the Scots.
Offensive consistency has been hard to come by for a youthful roster with only seven active players, but Gordon's defense has continued to shine in the midst of a long losing streak. The Fighting Scots' defense has given CCC opponents fits this season, including narrow losses to Salve Regina and Western New England. Gordon's defense was on full display again in the first half, with the Fighting Scots hanging punch for punch with the touted Hawks.
After battling to a 10-10 draw over the first seven minutes, Roger Williams tallied six straight points on a pair of three-point plays by Rachel Battista (Johnston, R.I.). The Hawks eventually extended their lead to 21-14 at the 10-minute mark before Gordon finally made its move on the other end.
The Fighting Scots went on a 10-2 run over the next four minutes, including back-to-back made jumpers by Kratche to give Gordon its first lead of the game at 24-23. Not to be outdone, Roger Williams countered with a 7-0 run to end the half with a six-point advantage.
Gordon outshot the Hawks from the field on 9-of-25 shooting in the first half, but Roger Williams capitalized on a flurry of fouls by making 12 free throws over the first 20 minutes.
Roger Williams pressured the Scots coming out of the break and Gordon was unable to find some of the offensive rhythm it had in the first half. The Hawks opened the half with a 12-6 run, doubling their lead in the process, to put Gordon in a double-digit hole.
The Fighting Scots chipped at the lead and got it down to three points after a fast-break layup by Mariel Barner (Colorado Springs, Colo.). But back-to-back triples by RWU's Emma Klis (East Northport, N.Y.) grew the lead up to nine with four minutes to play. The two teams traded points the rest of the way, as Gordon was never able to get it back within nine points.
Nine different players registered a point for the Hawks, including a team-high 13 for Battista off the bench. Angelica Ariola (Prospect, Conn.) also scored in double-digits with 11 points and dished out five assists. The Hawks outrebounded Gordon 40-33 on the evening as well.
In addition to Kratche and Smith's solid nights, Barner finished with eight points and six assists. Sophie Linnell (Richmond, Va.) had a game-high nine boards before fouling out in the second half.
Gordon stays on the road for the rest of the week with a game at Nichols in Dudley on Saturday. The Bison took a 55-50 victory back in December at the Bennett Center.
