After falling to 1-8 in 2010, the Hens looked to put their best foot forward and start off 2011 with a W. Standing in the way were the St. Joseph's (ME) College Monks, a formidable east-coast team looking to right their own ship after a blowout loss to Claremont-Mudd-Scripps.  

From the opening tip-off, the Sagehens played with an intensity seldom seen this season. They matched this physical hustle and dominance with streaky shooting, as at one point in the first half the Hens led 14-6 after scoring 10 points in a row. The Monks clawed their way out of the hole to close the gap to 26-24 with a little over three seconds in the half. The Hens inbounded the ball to Christina Sheckler (PO '13) who dribbled to near half court and launched a 50-foot prayer that hit nothing but net, silencing the Monk fans in the gymnasium. The Hens went to the locker room flying high, with a five point halftime lead.

The second half was a completely different story. The hot shooting that carried the Hens in the first half dissipated, and the Monks outscored the Hens 34-19 in the second period to win the game. The Sagehens shot a paltry 3-19 (15.8%) from the field, including 0-4 from three-point land.  

Emily Van Gulik (PO '11) led the Hens offensively with 16 points to go along with 9 rebounds. Christina Sheckler added 15 points for the Sagehens in the losing effort.

The Sagehens have one more non-conference game against Northern New Mexico College on January 5 before opening SCIAC play against Caltech on January 8.

- Adam Williams, PI '12