Jackie Logan/The Veritas News
Ruby Leon leads the Lions in scoring with 11.8 points per game.
After making the CCC playoffs the last two years, women’s basketball will look to come out stronger in the second half of the season after suffering two early conference losses.
The Lions are 3-3 in nonconference play, most recently defeating Johnson and Wales on Nov. 26, but have lost three straight games, including two conference games.
Women’s basketball lost its first conference game 69-54 to the University of New England. Three starters for the Lions scored in double digits, but 27 turnovers plagued the women.
The second loss came at Endicott on Dec. 7. The Lions trimmed a 15-point first-half lead down to two points in the second half, but ultimately lost 74-66.
Junior guard Ruby Leon (Fairfield, Calif.), who leads the Lions with 11.8 points per game, transferred to ENC this year.
Leon doesn’t believe that the 3-5 (0-2) record is an indication of how the team has played.
“No, we beat ourselves, over and over again,” she said.
She has an idea of what the Lions need to do to improve in the spring.
“We need to play as a team,” she said. “Outside of basketball we know each other well, but on the court, we need to figure each other out.”
Third-year head coach Sacha Santimano echoed Leon’s thoughts.
“We have a solid connection off the court,” Santimano said. “We are working on bringing that on the court right now.”
The Lions are focused on playing one game at a game.
“We need to win and do it as a team,” Leon said.
“We are definitely still figuring each other out,” Santimano said. “Hopefully very soon we will all be on the same page.”
The Lions will resume play at noon on Dec. 2 against University of Maine at Presque Isle at the Lahue Physical Education Center.
Women’s basketball will travel to Curry College at 1 p.m. on Dec. 4 for their first conference game of 2014.
Reporting contributed by Jackie Logan.