MONTCLAIR, N.J. – The Moravian College women's basketball team has gotten used to victory during its eight-game winning streak that lasted almost one month, but when that streak ended on Tuesday night with a 69-51 loss at No. 11 Montclair State University, the overall goals for this season actually became more clear.
Senior point guard Katie O'Rourke notched her fourth career double-double with a career-high 11 rebounds as she tied her career best of 23 points. She shot 7-of-14 from the floor and converted 9-of-10 free throws. Her hot start to the game helped the Hounds (8-2) take a 26-25 lead with 1:31 remaining in the first half.
From that point, the nationally-ranked Red Hawks turned up the heat on a snowy Tuesday. Montclair State closed out the first half on a 6-0 run, and began the second half on a 10-0 run.
"If we played like we did in the first 18 minutes, it could have been a different game," head coach Mary Beth Spirk said. "I was pleased with the effort. We played hard at a quick pace and we shocked them a little bit by keeping up with them. The problem is we didn't make baskets."
Moravian ended the game with a season-low 30.5 shooting percentage as the Red Hawks shot 48.5 percent in the second half to pull away and ultimately maintain a double-digit lead down the stretch.
"We played good defense, in the first half at least, but there were times during that run where we missed a basket and they took it down for a quick three," Spirk said. "That's a five-point swing in just a few seconds. All of a sudden, we're down by 15 and that's a tough team to come back against because they can score."
The Greyhounds led by as many as four points (24-20) in the first half before Montclair State turned the tides. The turnaround was due in large part to the Red Hawks' Janitza Aquino, who scored a game-high 29 points, and Nicosia Henry's 20 rebounds, 10 of which came on the offensive glass.
Senior forward Laura Jordan tied her season-high with 13 points, while adding five rebounds and four blocked shots.
Spirk reiterated that on a night like Tuesday, after a loss to a nationally-ranked basketball team, the Greyhounds are reminded what they are in for during a tough schedule. The endgame comes into focus, according to the veteran head coach.
"Montclair State might be a Sweet Sixteen-caliber team," Spirk said. "We were right there with them, and if we sustained that level of play, we can be cutting down nets, and that's ultimately what we want to do in the conference."
Moravian turned the ball over 17 times on Tuesday night, which led to 19 Red Hawk points. Montclair State also scored 19 second chance points, while winning the battles down low with a 32-28 advantage in the paint and a 43-41 rebounding lead at the end of the game.
"We turned the ball over in bad situations without much pressure from the opposition," Spirk said. "We were working on some different combinations and experimenting on a new lineup. It's going to be a process, but we're working hard."
Both teams shot well from the free throw line with Moravian hitting at an 82.4 percent clip (14-of-17) and Montclair State converting 6-of-7 for a .857 mark.
Moravian will enjoy the holiday break before hosting the 13th Annual Roosevelt's Moravian Winter Classic in Johnston Hall on Jan. 3-4. The Greyhounds' opening round contest is set for Friday, Jan. 3 against John Jay College at 7 p.m. They will play in the Consolation/Championship game on Saturday, Jan. 4 at 1 or 3 p.m. against Immaculata University or Wilkes University.
