February 4, 2022 | SPORTS | By Max Giles | Photo by Anil Jergens
The Colorado College Women’s Basketball team is heading into its last five games of the season after a victory against the Austin College Kangaroos on Jan. 30. The team showcased an impressive performance, taking down one of their top conference rivals in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC).
Their 63-50 victory was led by fantastic individual performances from players like Zoe Tomlinson ‘25, Audrey Bayston ‘24, and Laura Strenk ‘25. Tomlinson scored 16 points, got 15 rebounds, and gave CC the edge against a talented and higher-ranked team. Other players, like Anna Fanelli ‘23 and Rosie Braley ’23, also showed out in clutch fashion for the Tigers.
Guard Olivia Xerras, a sophomore from Charlotte, N.C., sat down for an interview after the matchup. Fighting through three ACL reconstructions since eighth grade, the dedication to the game that Olivia brings is the same grit and toughness embodied by the Tigers. Even with tough losses, a plethora of new faces, and COVID-19 trying to stall their momentum, the Tigers remain focused on their goal while facilitating a more connected and closely bonded team.
Despite the Tigers’ up and down season, they stand at a record of 9-11. They are 6-5 in conference play with just five games left. While their playoff hopes are still alive, it is going to take a strong finish to make it into the SCAC postseason. At the beginning of the season, the Tigers struggled to play well in the second half. In fact, the Tigers lost four games by just three points or less in the first half of the season, one of which was to nationally-ranked Hardin-Simmons University by just one point.
Of late, though, CC has been dramatically improving its late game performance. The Tigers are on a two-game winning streak, beating the University of Dallas before a showdown against Austin College. In their final games, the Tigers are set to square off against Southwestern University (8-9), Texas Lutheran University (10-6), Centenary College (3-15), Austin College (6-10), and University of St. Thomas (4-11).
As the season ends, expect the Tigers to play with their hearts on the line to reach the playoffs. Head Coach Katherine Menedez is looking to lead her squad to another SCAC championship game, just like she did in the 2020-2021 season. Regardless of how much success it may achieve at the end, this season will be a triumph for the CC Women’s Basketball team. They faced a wide variety of unique challenges, both basketball-related and not.