The Geneseo women’s basketball team extended its unbeaten streak to three games after a game against Nazareth College during the Wendy’s College Classic on Tuesday Nov. 27.
The Knights led early on and never trailed, coming out victorious 75-50. The win marked the third game that the Knights won by at least 25 points.
Senior guard Melissa Graham and sophomore forward Shannon McGinnis led the team with 14 points apiece while freshman guard Amelia Heiselman led with six helpers.
Graham grabbed six rebounds, contributing to the Knights’ total of 42 to the Golden Flyers’ 26.
The Knights hit 17 of their first 29 shots in the first half, allowing them to grab a 44-30 lead by halftime. They kept it up to collectively record a 51.8 shooting percentage from the floor and 70 percent from behind the arc.
In a pregame interview, head coach Scott Hemer attributed the team’s success to having a high level of chemistry despite fielding a team with a majority of players who haven’t played with each other for at least two years.
“This group seems to have a high level of trust in each other and when you have that high level of trust it only breeds success on the court,” Hemer said.
Hemer also said that he is surprised by the team’s chemistry since 11 of the 14 players on the team are underclassmen.
“I believe it’s a rare situation when you find a group as young as this who has come together as quickly as they have,” Hemer said. “It’s an odd occurrence and I think it is what puts them in a position, moving forward, to be a special group.”
Hemer’s belief can be seen on the court as some freshmen have already been making an impact on the team. As of late, freshman Allison McKenna and classmate Heiselman, joined the starting lineup for the Knights.
“[McKenna] has done a great job of winning the initial jump ball for us this season. She has also showed a lot of poise on the floor and is certainly a very talented player,” Hemer said.
“[Heiselman] has also showed nice poise for us. She’s demonstrated a very solid level of maturity and a developing young leader. We have been excited about what she has done for us so far.”
Besides the new recruits’ encouraging efforts, the Knights have seen the impact of the three upperclassmen – leadership that Hemer described as “impressive.”
“I think [the upperclassmen] have done a nice job of working closely to assist the younger players in their developments and progression as well as holding them accountable and making sure they are held to a high standard,” he said.
William Smith College will test the Knights in the semifinal game of the Wendy’s College Classic on Thursday Nov. 29 at the University of Rochester.