Avery Boulware, Campus Carrier Sports Editor
The Vikings redeemed themselves after losing to Covenant College in the first game of the season. On Wednesday night, the Vikings beat Covenant 75-51.
“The first time we played Covenant we were kind of down on ourselves,” said freshman forward Alex Weems. “It was our first game and we lost to them. We came in and were more confident [tonight].”
The Vikings held their lead throughout the entire game, never letting Covenant get ahead. At the end of the first half, the score was 31-26, and the gap in the score continued to widen.
Head coach Stephanie Dunn listed several changes that the team made during practices in preparation for Wednesday’s game. The team tried a new press break, which resulted in several stolen passes and easy layups.
The team has also focused on playing without fouling, after a new gameplay rule allows a team to shoot two free throws after being fouled five times.
“It has definitely been a point of emphasis to try and keep the opposing team off the free throw line,” Dunn said.
Berry made 29 of the 64 shots they attempted in the field, while Covenant made 16 of their 60 shots. The last time Berry played Covenant, in their season opener on Nov. 13, Berry lost 62-69, only making 30 percent of their field goal shots.
“We were all practicing shooting a lot more and making good passes inside,” said sophomore guard Rosie Lynch. “I know I was working on that, focusing on making the right passes. In a zone defense they are just covering the area, so we had to read that a lot more. It was about being smart this time.”
Lynch had eight assists during the night. Other game leaders included junior forward/center Emma Cook and sophomore center Megan Casey, who both scored 14 points.
“We’ve gotten better and learned how to play together,” Dunn said. “Team continuity has gotten a lot better. We’re young, and sometimes the things you teach take a little while to all click, but I think we are finally hitting that point.”
The Vikings now have a 4-3 record and are looking forward to a successful season.
“I feel confident that we can play with everybody [in the conference],” Dunn said. “I think every game is going to be tough, but our expectations are still very high. We finished second last year, and we want to try for it all again this year.”