The Geneseo women's basketball team suffered a disappointing 56-55 loss against St. John Fisher last weekend in their first game of the season.
Geneseo was unable to hold on to a 26-24 halftime lead as St. John Fisher made a late rally to win the game.
Geneseo may have suffered an even bigger loss in the first half when star junior Khadija Campbell went down with a season-ending knee injury. Campbell was the leading scorer and rebounder among returning players and had an impressive seven rebounds in the 11 minutes she played. Geneseo missed her presence late in the game, losing some key rebounds that helped St. John Fisher take the lead.
Head coach Scott Hemer is now looking for other players to step up in Campbell's absence, and is counting on many first-year players to contribute key minutes to the team.
The team's two leading scorers of the night were both first-year players: freshman Briana Dunton scored 14 points and sophomore Claire Howe added 13 points.
"They showed good character and chemistry," said Hemer, proud that, "they battled without [Campbell] on the road." Hemer also added that many of the young players "need to become veterans very quickly."
According to Hemer, the team has room for improvement from Saturday's game. Geneseo only made 51 percent of their free throws in the contest and, according to Hemer, "made too many turnovers."
The team's minor flaws notwithstanding and considering the game's close final score, Hemer said, "It showed good potential," noting that playing in such a tight game should help them later in the season.
The Geneseo women's basketball team looks to improve from their first game, playing in the Wilmington Tournament in Wilmington, Ohio this weekend before opening conference play at home Dec. 2 against Oswego.