The women’s basketball team lost its home opener 75-72 to Gordon College in overtime, despite 25 points from senior guard Natalie Clydesdale. 

After a season-opening win over Suffolk University, the Lions came into their first home game of the year with a 1-0 record. The game remained close until junior forward Sam Boyle picked up her second foul of the game and subbed out with six minutes left in the first quarter. At the end of the first quarter, the Lions trailed by five after Gordon outrebounded them by four and allowed 12 points in the paint. 

The Lions battled back in the second quarter and tied the game at 22 after a three-point shot by junior guard Kailee Yan. After a late run, Gordon took a six-point lead going into halftime. The Fighting Scots increased their lead in the second half and led by as much as 15 points in the third quarter. 

The Lions cut the deficit to just three points going into the fourth quarter after Clydesdale hit three three-point shots. Clydesdale scored nine of the Lions’ 19 points in the quarter. After a poor offensive start, Clydesdale said the Lions got back to their normal offense. 

“We just focused on getting [the ball] in and [passing it] out,” Clydesdale said in a post-game interview. “That’s been our go-to for the last couple years. We call them rhythm shots. That’s what we look for. When we don’t do well, we rush and take the first shot.”

Head coach Bill Gould said the team responded well to adversity. 

“Our team made a conscious effort to say ‘Alright, you know, geez, we’re not doing this. We got to do better,’” Gould said in a post-game interview. “And they did. That’s what’s great about our team. They are willing and able to make the adjustments that are necessary.” 

The Lions continued their rhythm going into the fourth quarter, and freshman power forward Carla Pelino made a layup to tie the game at 62 with fewer than 20 seconds remaining. Gordon missed a shot as the clock expired, and the game went into overtime. 

Gordon senior guard Meghan Foley took over the game in overtime. She shot 75 percent in overtime and scored eight points. Clydesdale expressed her frustration with her defense while guarding Foley. 

“We definitely could have won that game,” Clydesdale said. “We went over what [Foley] does, and I didn’t do a very good job on defense.”

Gould said the comeback in the second half took the energy out of the Lions, and he stressed that they have to avoid falling behind by that much in the future. 

“I think we were the better team,” Gould said. “I just didn’t think we played quite like it tonight.”

The Lions play their third game of the week against Worcester Polytechnic Institute on Saturday, Nov. 16 at home.