The Lawrence University women’s basketball team started the season winning two of their first three games. On November 16 and 17, the team traveled to North Central College to compete in the North Central Tournament.November 16, the Vikes tipped off against Clarkson University out of Potsdam, N.Y. The Vikes blew out Clarkson with a final score of 73-45.
The Vikings had control the entire game, and the large gap in the score gave Coach Walsh a chance to give every player minutes on the floor.
Carrie Van Groll led the way with a double-double recording 16 points and 11 rebounds on top of leading the team with six assists.
Saturday, the Vikings played in the championship game against North Central College, the host of the tournament.
The slow start, coupled with Kelly Mulcahy’s foul trouble, seemed to be a bad omen for the Vikings early in the first half.
Sarah Ehlinger, a freshman from Wauwatosa Wis., came into fill Mulcahy’s spot. Ehlinger stepped in and helped the Vikings end the first half up by three.
With 15:50 left in the second half, the Vikings had a double-digit lead. North Central slowly chipped away with strong work down in the posts. At 6:08 the score was tied at 52.
The score went back and forth, but with 2:15 left, Jessica Davis drained a three-pointer to give North Central the lead for good.
The Vikings lost a heartbreaker, 61-59. Jenny Stoner led the team with 16 points and Carisse Reiland led the team with 10 boards.
On Tues., November 20 the team took on Marian at home. A slow start by the Vikes and turnovers gave Marian the advantage in the first half. The Vikings entered the second half down 37-35.
The second half was a different game. Lawrence utilized its size against a small Marian team and cut down on their turnovers. The Vikings took the lead and did not look back with 16:14 left in the second half.
The Vikings walked away with a 72-57 win, outscoring Marian 37-20 in the second half. The Vikings were helped by a 16-0 run to start the second half.
Jenny Stoner and Carrie Van Groll led the team with 17 points apiece, while Carisse Reiland recorded a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds.
The Vikes showed that they are getting used to their new triangle offense. Van Groll received Midwest Conference Player of the Week for her contributions.
This weekend the Vikings will take on Lake Forest and Monmouth. Friday, the team travels to Lake Forest to take on a team similar to North Central.
The first conference test for the Vikings should be a tough one, as Lake Forest was preseason number two in the conference. On Saturday the team will take on preseason number four Monmouth.
Starting the conference season off with two wins could give the Vikings a big push on their quest towards a conference title.