CURTIS HENRY
Distribution Manager
The women’s basketball team was fully aware of the stakes heading into its weekend double against Oneonta and New Paltz. The main goal? An opportunity to host a home game in the SUNYAC tournament for the first time ever.
“Really we have just had SUNYAC play in our head the whole season, and we wanted to be the team to make history and get a home game for SUNYACs,” said junior Jamie Curry.
The two home games took place against the holders of the number two and number one seeds in the SUNYAC, respectively.
Going into the week, words like “crucial” were being tossed around by both Coach Linda Hill-MacDonald and players alike. The two home games this weekend would dictate the path of the playoffs for the squad.
Needless to say, the team did not disappoint.
Fredonia came out of the gate strong in Friday night’s win against Oneonta and carried a four point lead into the second quarter. Much of the second and third quarters were spent by the teams trading buckets, and Oneonta would lead both at halftime and after the third quarter by a single point.
However, it was the fourth quarter that would see the Blue Devils pull away from Oneonta. The quarter started with a quick 14-5 run by the home team that would provide just enough wiggle room for Fredonia to hold on, eventually outlasting the visitors by a final score of 69-64.
Team defense was the biggest factor in Friday night’s victory, as the team tallied a whopping 16 steals over the course of the 40 minutes. Offensively the tone was set by senior captain Sabrina Macaulay, who went over the 25-point mark for the second time. Her 29 points were aided by 16 points from junior guard Alexis Cheatham.
Thus, the stage was set for Fredonia’s Saturday matchup with number-one seeded New Paltz. Having beaten New Paltz by three points on the road earlier in the season, Saturday sufficed the opportunity for both a season sweep of the top squad in SUNYAC, as well as a chance to clinch the program’s first home playoff game ever.
Before the game began, the team recognized its three seniors: Sammy Villarini, Katie Devine and Macaulay. Villarini played two seasons for the Blue Devils, and both Devine and Macaulay played four seasons.
Despite having slugged out a narrow victory the night before against Oneonta, the Blue Devils came out Saturday against New Paltz with the same high-energy play style and a must-win sense of urgency. There was no evident hangover from the hard-fought win less than 24 hours prior — the team came out of the gate sharp on both ends of the floor.
That urgency would prove to be a vital key on Fredonia’s way to a 70-65 victory over the top dogs. For the second consecutive night it was Cheatham with 17 points and Macaulay with 16 points who led the Blue Devils offensively, with Cheatham knocking down four three-pointers in the second half to keep momentum on the Blue Devils’ side.
Macaulay tallied 971 career points after the defeat against New Paltz, nearly breaking 1,000 career points. She currently stands ninth on the team’s all-time list. She also has 730 rebounds which is the fifth best in team history.
A 9-0 Blue Devils run to begin the third quarter had the lead primed at 44-35, however that was quickly followed by a 10-2 run from the visiting side.
A three-pointer from New Paltz to start the fourth quarter gave the visitors their first and only lead (46-48) of the entire game with just over nine minutes to play. From that point on, the game would be decided by one factor. Who wanted it more? The answer: Fredonia.
Down the stretch the team made it a point of focus to be the first to crash the boards and to get on the floor for loose balls, and that hustle would eventually pay off in a big way. The win set a record for the team for both total season wins with 18 and conference wins in a single season with 13.
Despite the team’s already successful season, there is still a strong sense of urgency existing in the locker room moving forward.
“When we broke the record that was cool and we are all really proud to be a part of history,” said Devine. “I honestly think we’re more excited for the upcoming week and to see how far we can go into the tournament.”
Next on the schedule for the Blue Devils will be their game against Brockport, a team that has shown flashes of excellence on an inconsistent basis this season.
“Brockport is one of those streaky teams so they could either be on fire or not. They won 4 in a row and then lost 4 in a row,” said Cheatham. “But as long as we continue to play our game, I think we should win.”
Fredonia will host Brockport on Tuesday, Feb. 23 at 7 p.m. The game will be their first in the SUNYAC playoffs as the women look to extend their season.