The Dickinson Women’s Basketball team were finally able to play in front of a Red Devil crowd in their home opener on Wednesday the 16th. The Devils rewarded their fans, beating the Moravian University Greyhounds by twelve. 

 The Devils were ready to attack at the start of the game, taking a 11-2 lead into the first timeout. The starting five chosen by Head Coach Aby Diop were Mia Kolb ’23, Caitlin Blackman ’25, Clair Marion ’25, Gina Neigel ’23 and Kate Montgomery ’23. All showed remarkable skill sets and an ability to connect and understand each other on the court. The Devils dominated the first half. They almost ended the first quarter at 18-5, but a buzzer-beating three-pointer for Moravian made it 18-8.

 During the second quarter, a small group of subs also saw playing time. Lindsey Hollenshead ’24, Abby John ’25 and Jenna Weinstein ’25 all stepped up to the challenge of the game. The Devils continued their domination, being effective in both offense and defense, keeping an advantage of over 10 points throughout the second quarter. At half-time, Dickinson led 30-18.

 The third quarter was the best one yet. With three-pointers from Marion ’25 and Blackman ’25, the Devils kept  far ahead of the Greyhounds. Montgomery ’23 and Neigel ’23 also did an excellent job in preserving the edge, adding their points to the mix. By the time Moravian called a time-out, the Devils had a 19-point advantage over the Greyhounds, and the third quarter ended 48-30.

 Although Moravian made it a closer game in the last quarter, the home team kept their composure to win this game.  The game ended 66-54 in favor of the Devils. 

Unfortunately, the Devils couldn’t secure a victory against Haverford on Nov. 19. It was a close game until the fourth quarter, when the Black Squirrels pulled away. They scored 22 points in the fourth compared to Dickinson’s five.

The Red Devils turned things around quickly, beating McDdaniel by 6 on Nov. 22 and they haven’t looked back since. That game began a 4 game win streak for the Devils. It was a balanced scoring attack for Dickinson with three players, Kolb, Montgomery, and Blackman reaching double figures in scoring. The Devils entered the fourth quarter trailing, but a strong shooting fourth carried them to victory. 

Dickinson took the momentum into Lancaster for their clash with Franklin and Marshall. They took the lead early and never looked back, winning comfortably 56-36. The Devils outscored F&M in every quarter and were able to use 13 players on the roster, including some players who don’t always get a chance. 

Next up for Coach Diops’ side was an away game with Gettysburg. The Devils and the Bullets traded blows in a tightly contested affair. The Dickinson defense stifled throughout, only allowing 43 points. It was another impressive win as the Devils 48 points was enough to fend off the Bullets. 

They returned home on the third beating Swarthmore 59-40 in front of a packed gym. The positive vibes were contagious both from the fans and the team. The Red Devils held the lead going into the third quarter, in which they really took over. They scored 21 points in the third on 67 percent shooting. Marion led the way for the devils, putting up 21 points and playing with swagger and confidence.

The Devils have started the year strong and hope to keep it up through Winter break. Dickinson will travel to Puerto Rico over the break, staying fresh for the upcoming Centennial Conference playoff race.