After suffering back-to-back losses for the first time all season, the SUNY Cortland Women’s Basketball team is determined to reverse their recent fortunes as they gear up to face Buffalo State at home this Friday.
The Cortland Women’s Basketball team has been rolling this season, boasting a stellar 16-7 overall record and a commanding 12-4 within conference play, securing them second place in the SUNYAC standings. However, their recent two-game skid is a rare departure from their usual winning ways.
After rallying back to cut a 16-point lead to just four within the final minutes of their February 9 matchup against Brockport, the Red Dragons fell just short of the win, with a final score of 84-80. Senior forward Logan Streety led the charge for Cortland, tallying 21 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 steals.
Cortland then had to hit the road for their next game the following day at Geneseo, which saw similar results. After a first half that saw even ties and seven lead changes between the two squads, Geneseo grabbed the lead and kept it in the entire second half. Cortland managed to narrow the gap to three points late in the third quarter and trailed by five on two occasions in the final two minutes of the game, but despite the late push, Geneseo sealed the victory by making 2-of-4 free throws in the last 12 seconds of the game.
“We need to make shots. It’s not that complicated,” says head coach Colleen Ames. “We played 32 minutes of bad defense against Brockport, then almost came out with a win. We locked up on defense against Geneseo but couldn’t make a shot. We need to do those things at the same time.”
Sophomore guard Brooke Tillotson believes that when the team is locked in on defense, it makes it that much easier for the offense to start flowing.
“In both losses this weekend, we struggled to string together a full 40 minutes and it’s hard to beat any college basketball team when you are only firing for half the game,” said Tillotson. “Our defense fuels our offense, so if we come out strong this weekend playing the high-pressure, full-court defense that we know how to play then we will be just fine.”
With their current standing at 16-7 overall and 12-4 in the SUNYAC, Cortland is locked in at either the second or third seed heading into the postseason. However, with only a half-game lead over Geneseo, the Red Dragons understand the importance of not getting ahead of themselves.
“We preach all the time to be present – to be where your feet are,” said Coach Ames. “There is no opponent more important than the one you are facing right now. Since we don’t play until Friday this week, the opponent we are focusing on is ourselves. We need to be the absolute best that we can be at what we do.” Next up for the Cortland Women’s Basketball team is a matchup against Buffalo State, who has struggled this season with a 4-19 overall record and an uninspiring 1-15 record in conference play. Despite their opponent’s struggles, Cortland remains focused on their own game after two consecutive losses and is looking to regain momentum as they approach the postseason.