Blazers brought down by Bengals

JAN. 10, NELSON H. KOBREN MEMORIAL GYMNASIUM-

The Blazers fought hard tonight, but inconsistency led the team to lose 61-43 to the Blake Bengals (7-2). Blair, currently 4-5 on the season, was no match for the Bengals' better ball handling and offense. Despite Blair's second quarter lead, Blake gained momentum as the Blazers trailed for the remainder of the game.

Although the Blazers displayed several notable plays and exceptional runs, it just was not enough to keep the Bengals from their well-deserved victory. Blake played consistently and communicated well. "Their shots went in, and ours didn't," said coach Kristin Werdann. A single player from the opposing team shot 13 points in one quarter.

The Blazers' major error involved ball control. Blair's defense obtained a few impressive steals, only to accidentally throw the ball into its opponents' hands. The same problem occurred several times when Blair athletes speedily drove down the lane and lost the ball in the paint.

The Bengals took an early lead, and the game looked grim when they finished the first quarter six points ahead of Blair. However, in a 24 second interval during the second period, Blair managed to score six back-to-back points, four from sophomore Helen Denbow. This small, yet critical run energized the Blazers, allowing the team to lessen the gap and ultimately take the lead. With 2:52 left in the second quarter, freshman Meghan Cadigan sunk two foul shots, barely pulling the Blazers ahead, 21-20, for the first and only time in the game.

The Bengals returned from halftime to finish the game as they started. They earned 24 points in the third period, while the Blazers only managed to bank seven. Blair saw minimal improvement during the fourth quarter. Freshman point guard Kymahni West was fouled out, minimizing from Blair's offense.

Blair's game-high scorer, Cadigan finished with ten points, while West came in close second with nine points, including a noteworthy three pointer.

Although it was not one of Blair's best games, the team hopes to learn from their mistakes. "We lost our intensity. The deficit was too great to come out from," said Cadigan. "But, I think during the fourth quarter we started to stay calm and keep going."

Blair plays Sherwood next on Jan. 12 at 5:15 pm.