With the season over, the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Athenas women’s basketball team can look back on an outstanding overall season, with a finish of 20-5, placing them second in the Southern
California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC).
The Athenas shot off to an impressive pre-season start with four straight victories. They encountered their first loss of the season to the University of Puget Sound in the Caltech Holiday Classic, but made a turnaround to win the rest of the Classic games.
The team’s close loss to the University of Redlands (46-52) at the SCIAC opener rallied them to win four league games in a row. Both the men’s and women’s teams defeated Whittier, with the Athenas victorious after a close game, 64-61. In their next match-up, the CMS women beat their
cross-campus rivals, Pomona-Pitzer, for the seventh time in a row. With three starters in foul trouble, head coach Jodi Burton drew from the bench. The players rose to the challenge, scoring 25 points and grabbing 15 rebounds.
Unfortunately, the Athenas’ winning streak ended with a close loss to La Verne (60-65). “The most emotional game we’ve played so far was against La Verne,” recollects Scripps senior Casandra Jensen. “We didn’t expect to lose and it put us in a position to have to work harder for the SCIAC title. But in a way I think that it was good. It gave us the opportunity to see and feel what it would
be like to let it slip through our fingers.”
Apparently these athletes didn’t like that feeling. After a loss to California Lutheran University, who ultimately took the 2006 SCIAC women’s basketball title, the Athenas completed a seven-game winning streak. In the season-ending game against Cal Lutheran, the women proved they were up to the challenge, crushing their opponent 85-50. The victory, however, was bittersweet. Not only did it mean saying goodbye to four outstanding senior players, but the phenomenal win
against the conference champion did not earn the Athenas a place in the post-season NCAA tournament playoffs. However, Coach Burton is enthusiastic about her team’s performances.
“It was a great season. To finish with 20 wins is unbelievable, and to go 7-0 in the second round of league was incredible. Our seniors stepped it up a notch.”
Regardless of the final outcomes the Athenas competed ferociously and their fans are extremely proud of them. These women will always have the memory of a fierce, competitive season and
the satisfaction of knowing they gave it their all.