The women’s basketball team held their final home stand of the season this weekend. The Bears (15-10, 3-9 Ivy) fell to Columbia Saturday but notched a big win over Cornell the following day.
In the first matchup, the Lions (8-19, 2-10) jumped out to an early lead and held onto it throughout the game, outscoring Bruno in every quarter to earn a final score of 90-74. The Bears shot well, tallying 27 makes on 64 attempts, but it was not strong enough to overcome Columbia’s 35 for 70 shooting performance.
Consistent scorers Shayna Mehta ’19 and Justine Gaziano ’20 were the only players for Brown to score in double digits, posting 22 and 20 points apiece.
The Lions were aggressive in the paint, and it helped translate to a win. In addition to posting 36 points down low to Brown’s 28, Columbia out-rebounded Bruno 43 to 32. Even the Bears’ best rebounders were stifled — no player collected more than five boards.
On Sunday, friends and family filled the Pizzitola Sports Center to celebrate the careers and witness the final home game of Bruno seniors Megan Reilly ’18 and Janie White ’18. Team manager Oliver Fox ’18 was also honored.
“Playing for this program for the past four years has been an absolute honor. I’ve grown so much as a person and leader, and I’m extremely grateful for my Brown basketball family,” Reilly said.
The Bears cruised to a comfortable victory, defeating the Big Red (6-19, 2-10) 85-59.
Once again, Gaziano and Mehta led scoring, putting up 30 and 28, respectively. Combined, the two converted on eight of nine three-point attempts.
The Bears dominated in all aspects of the game, finishing at the basket easily and shutting down the Big Red’s scoring opportunities with lockdown defense. Cornell often passed the ball around the court looking for an open shot before the dwindling shot clock forced a player to take a heavily contested attempt. The Big Red was limited to making just 17 of 65 field goal attempts.
The big win gave the Bears’ seniors a memorable note for their last game at home.
“I have so many incredible memories on this court, so when I look back on my senior night, I’m happy that I’ll remember such a great win. My teammates did an amazing job making the day feel so special and memorable,” Reilly said.
“I can’t believe how fast my four years went, so my biggest piece of advice would be to enjoy every minute of it,” Reilly added.
The Bears will close out their season with visits to Princeton March 2 and Penn March 3.
