Warriors fend off Bethel Pilots to claim hard-fought win
By Ruvarashe Mutambara | writing & photography
RCU’s women’s basketball team played a home game on Oct.24 in the Garth Pleasant Arena, securing a 2-point win against the Bethel Pilots to open their 10th season in the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference.
What began as a promising win for the Warriors turned into an intense battle as the Pilots slowly chipped away at the 18-point deficit. The game reached an unexpected draw of 63-63 with 1 minute and 56 seconds left in the fourth quarter.
With the Pilots just outside the national top 25, RCU’s Women’s Basketball Head Coach, Jared Ocampo, knew their 21% first-half shooting performance was unlikely to last and urged his team to prepare for a second-half response.
“Part of the process of weathering that storm is staying composed, staying locked in, staying confident, despite the lead being cut,” Ocampo said.
The intense game had the entire arena glued to the scoreboard, including the head coaches of both teams.
“When the game was tied, I was looking up, and I was just thinking, okay, the storm is here, and this is where we really have to get out of our funk,” Ocampo said.
As the game came to its final moments, a crucial steal and assist from Amal Younes, finishing in a 3-pointer by Mylah Aalse, helped the Warriors regain their lead.
The Warriors clinched a 69-67 win on Jacey Somer’s layup with 32 seconds remaining and Melanie Moore’s free throw with six seconds left.
Somers led the Warriors in points (17 pts), Moore led in rebounds (9), and Shahd Bakar led in assists (7). Notably, Younes maintained a 100% field-goal percentage, shooting 4-for-4 from the 3-point range.
Ocampo also highlighted the collaborative effort needed for the win, noting key contributions from the bench.
“We got some crucial minutes from Tambre [Williams] and Jordan [Peterson] fulfilling their role, and Ryleigh [Zinn] came in and hit a big shot for us in the first half,” He continued. “Those are the type of players that make an impact, despite it not showing on the box score.”
Bethel’s leading scorer, Isabel Scales (20 pts), was supported by Olivia Nickerson (18 pts) and Isabella Nooe (12 pts), but the Warriors came away with the win.
The Warriors play again on Oct. 29 against the University of Michigan Wolverines in the Crisler Center at 7 p.m. EDT. If you would like to watch and support, limited tickets and bus transportation are available, courtesy of RCU Student Life.
Visit here to sign up and learn more.
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