Women’s Basketball
Early season score lines are fickle measuring sticks for a team’s quality or potential. For example, about nine weeks ago, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team, characterized as one of the finest in the United States, dropped a head-scratcher game to Marshall University of Huntington, West Virginia. For context; the Irish have won 11 National titles in their history; Marshall has won only two, and both while playing in the second division of US collegiate athletics. For some of the Notre Dame fan base, the loss to Marshall marked the end of days, shattering their faith in the team’s ability to deliver success. But on Saturday evening, Notre Dame thumped the 12th-ranked and undefeated Clemson Tigers, 35-20. Marshall, meanwhile, are barely above .500, with 5-4 record.
The point of this NCAA anecdote is simple: early results tell us precious little about how a team will perform over the course of a season. While the 37-97 loss at MSVU on the weekend may feel like pouring a combination of salt, lemon juice, and perhaps choleric acid on a fresh paper cut, it still counts as only one singular loss in the league standings. For Marika Williams’ squad, there are fresh games on the horizon, with a visit to St. Thomas and a home game against Mount Allison set for the coming weekend and new opportunities to kickstart their season. With 16 games left on the schedule, there’s plenty of time for the UKC Women to find their stride, and, like Notre Dame, find some luck of the Irish along the way.
Results:
@MSVU 37-97 Loss
Next Games:
@STU, November 12th, 3 p.m.
vs. MTA, November 13th, 2 p.m.
Men’s Basketball
The difficult trip across town to MSVU for the UKC Men, who dropped their first league game of the Luc Stevenson era to the Mystics 66-84. A slow start proved to be the deciding factor. Finishing the first quarter trailing 10-26, the Kingsmen found themselves chasing most of the game, playing all other quarters to single digits, and winning the 4th 18-11. In spite of the loss, there were bright spots amongst the Blue Devils lineup. Forward, Corson O’Rourke posted a team high 12 points in his first start of the league campaign, and shooting guard, Josh Crocker shot 3-4 from the field after coming off the bench. Limiting turnovers will be a major focus going forward, with King’s losing the ball 17 times to the Mystic’s 8 over the course of game.
It’s a quick turnaround for the UKC Men, who will face up a pair of New Brunswick opponents in their first 2-game weekend of the season. A evening bout at St. Thomas in Fredericton on Saturday evening will be the first test for the Blue Devils, before they travel back to Halifax for a home match against Mount Allison on Sunday afternoon at 4.
Results:
@MSVU 66-86 Loss
Next Games:
@STU, November 12th, 5 p.m.
vs. MTA, November 13th, 4 p.m.
