By Sean Markisic
On Friday, Feb. 22, the women’s basketball team defeated their rival in John Jay to win their fourth straight CUNYAC championship at Baruch College.
The first quarter of this game saw a couple of scoring flurries from both teams. Bulldogs scored four straight to begin the game, but the John Jay Bloodhounds were able to respond with a 9-0 run. They had control of the game for a few minutes, but the Bulldogs were able to cut the lead to just one at the end of the first quarter. The beginning of this game saw both teams struggling to score consistently.
In the second quarter, the Bulldogs were able to build a lead by making a barrage of three pointers to give themselves much needed separation from the Bloodhounds. Some notable players for the Bulldogs during the strong second quarter were Erika James, Aleah Rafat, Mary Dolgin, and Alina Estrella. The bulldogs were able to create a plethora of scoring opportunities due to sharing the ball a lot and creating open shots for themselves.
The Bulldogs went into halftime with a 37-23 lead. The third quarter saw John Jay climb back into the game, going on a 18-9 run to cut the Bulldogs lead to 46-41. The Bloodhounds put lots of pressure in the half courtin the third, which took the Bulldogs away from what had been their plan of action in the second quarter. However, the Bulldogs were able to respond successfully when they needed to, most notably in the fourth quarter. The Bulldogs took back an 11 point lead to close out the third quarter behind a few big shots, and as a result were able to control the lead the entire fourth quarter, winning the game with a final score of 72-54.
From the start of the season, the Bulldogs had an assortment of junior and senior players playing a high level as well as some sophomores, allowing for valuable play throughout the season. Head coach Megan Campbell was well deserving of the CUNY Coach of the Year honors. Coach Campbell brought the best out of her players all season long and always made sure to put them in situations to succeed.
Looking ahead to next season for the Bulldogs, the James sisters Sarah and Ericka are both graduating, along with Destiny Drummond. Aleah Rafat, Alina Estralla, and Suliat Afolabi will all be seniors heading into next season, and are therefore retaining some of their star players for next season.
The Bulldogs team completing a four-peat of CUNYAC championships is a historic win. The women’s team has players and coaches who are invested in the success of their team, and the product of the investment taken into this team shows on the court.