By Noah Poll
ANNANDALE-ON-HUDSON – The Bard College women’s basketball team did not prevail over the RPI Engineers on Saturday afternoon, 30-52, at Stevenson Athletic Center.
Erin Tobes had a game-high 13 points on 5-of-11 shooting. It was the third time she scored double figures this season. Shirley Dong was able to corral nine rebounds, her second-highest total of the season, in addition to two steals, four points, and an assist.
Jessica Martin played a season-high 29 minutes, accumulating two points, two rebounds, and a steal. Morgan Kottka was unable to crack the scoring column, but she contributed three rebounds, two assists, two steals, and a block.
Lexi Miller reached double figures in rebounds for the fifth time this season, with 11. She added four points and two assists. Ava Gregory played the entire game, tallying five points, eight rebounds, three assists, and a steal. Tianna Gonzalez had two points, three rebounds, and two steals in the effort.
In the first four minutes of the game, Tobes was able to carve through the RPI defense, scoring six points as the Raptors built an 8-4 lead. However, a 15-0 run by the Engineers was a turning point, giving RPI a 19-8 lead at the 9:45 mark in the second quarter. A Dong layup cut the lead to single digits, but RPI continued to force turnovers and get strong play from their bench, leading to a 12-3 run and a 31-13 lead. On the final possession of the first half, Dong provided the Raptors with a bucket to provide some relief.
Miller was a focal point of the offense in the third quarter, scoring four of Bard’s eight points. After trading baskets, RPI had an 8-0 run, allowing the Engineers to take a 24-point edge. Kottka was able to steal a pass immediately after an RPI rebound, then she dished it off to Miller to stop the 5:26 drought. Bard went to a zone defense in the fourth quarter, changing up the RPI halfcourt offense. As a result, the Engineers shot just 3-of-15 from the field and 0-of-7 from three-point land during the frame. Despite preventing the Engineers from scoring in the final 3:40, Bard could not go on a run.
