Dartmouth Falls, 78-56, to McNeese State in Arlington

Friday, November 20

Arlington, Texas

6:00 PM

Dartmouth College

0-3

McNeese State

1-1

Dartmouth

McNeese State

Dartmouth Falls, 78-56, to McNeese State in Arlington

11/20/2015 7:55:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score Lakin Roland Belle Koclanes Daisy Jordan Olivia Smith Emily Slagle Kealy Brown

By: Dartmouth

ARLINGTON, TEXAS – After playing from behind for most of night, the Dartmouth women's basketball team fell, 78-56, to McNeese State in the second round of the preseason WNIT Tournament in Arlington, Texas.

The loss drops the Big Green to 0-3, while McNeese State improves to 1-1. This is the first time since the 2010-11 campaign that Dartmouth has lost its first three games of the season.

“We don't think about the history books,” said Big Green head coach Belle Koclanes. “It was a different time, a different place with different people. We look at present day and we're trying to put this particular team together. It's a young team and it's going to take time.”

The contest got off to a slow start as neither team could get a basket to fall in the game's opening minutes. Arlington's Emily Slagle knocked down Dartmouth's first FG of the evening; she finished the game with eight points and four rebounds.

Toward the end of the first, McNeese's offense started to click as the Cowgirls went on an 11-3 run which was broken up at the 1:40 mark with a Kealy Brown free throw. In the second quarter, McNeese State continued to shoot the ball well as the Cowgirls increased their lead to 23-10.

The Big Green tried to chip away at the McNeese State lead after a three-point play by sophomore Olivia Smith, but the Cowgirls continued to keep the pressure on Dartmouth taking a 41-22 lead into the locker room at the half. The 19-point deficit was the Big Green's largest they've faced at halftime this season, as Dartmouth shot just 18 percent from the field in the first half.

In the third stanza, the Big Green took to the floor with lots of energy, but had a difficult time containing the McNeese State offense. Leading the charge for the Cowgirls was their leading scorer, Jaylin Johnson who finished the night with 19 points and four rebounds. Koclanes said her coaching staff is trying to find solutions to the team's recent defensive struggles.

“We're looking for defensive identity,” Koclanes said. “We know the strengths we have defensively and we know the growth opportunities we have across the board with this team. We're trying to figure that out. The great thing about competing in the WNIT and across the country, you get to see a different style of play than you're used to.”

Dartmouth fought hard in the fourth, but could not overcome the large deficit. For the second game in a row, Daisy Jordan led her team in points with 14. Fellow senior, Lakin Roland went 3 for 15 from the field and grabbed a team high eight boards. Smith finished the night with her highest point total of the season with nine.

The Big Green will have a short rest before they return to the court, when Dartmouth takes on the loser of Jacksonville University and University of Texas at Arlington on Saturday.