Women’s basketball defeats first Big Ten opponent

The Lehigh women’s basketball team made history on Nov. 10, securing their first-ever victory over a Big Ten opponent after defeating Northwestern 85-68. 

After the team fell to Michigan 86-55 on Nov. 8, coach Addie Micir said the drive and motivation carried over to the game against Northwestern.

Senior guard Ella Stemmer said the team’s resilience played a huge role in the win on Nov. 10.

“It feels really special, we played Michigan two days before, and being able to respond very quickly was super special,” Stemmer said. “We went in with a relentlessly competitive mindset and I think that reflected in how we came out.”

Micir said the team’s fast-paced tactics also helped lead the team to victory.

“Our transition game was particularly sharp, and our offensive cuts allowed us to create open three-point shots,” Micir said. “We are an excellent shooting team. We emphasize that earning easy shots requires putting in hard work, we also focused on taking up space and compressing the court.”

Stemmer, the team’s leading scorer last season, was one of the game-leaders in scoring for the Mountain Hawks with 18 points and one steal. Junior forward Lily Fandre led the team in scoring with 26 points.

Stemmer said all of the hard work in the preseason is paying off, which has set the bar high for the rest of the season.

She said she’s looking forward to seeing different players step up each game.

“I think we have some really bright players, really intelligent, and I’m so excited to see how the system shifts,” Stemmer said. “We are super dynamic (and) super deep.”

As the season progresses, Micir and the team are focused on improving and building on the momentum from this historic win.

“We have to continue to do us and get better at us,” Micir said. “Our offensive pace and spacing need to continue to be great. That’s what’s going to help us shoot the way we do.”

Micir said the defense has been a weak point in the past couple of games, but they’ve been putting in a good effort and are continuing to improve. 

First-year shooting guard Sibelle Zambie said the atmosphere and experience of being a part of history was exciting.

“We have a really talented team, we were prepared and we just knew to do our jobs, play our game, and that we can win,” Zambie said.

Zambie said this game sets up the team for more success in the future and she is excited to see what’s to come. She said the ultimate team goal is to win the Patriot League Championship, and her personal goal is to develop as a player and teammate.