The Justice

Media Credit: David Sheppard-Brick Guard Kelly Ethier '12 drives toward the basket against Mount Saint Mary College in the Judges' second-round NCAA Tournament victory last Saturday.

Media Credit: David Sheppard-Brick Guard Morgan Kendrew '12 scores against Western Connecticut State University last Friday. Kendrew has stepped into a starting role for the Judges.

With 6 minutes, 45 seconds left in last Friday's first-round NCAA Tournament game against Western Connecticut State University, the women's basketball team had just regained the lead for the first time since the opening minute of the second half after trailing by as many as 10 points. Needing to keep momentum in order to avoid losing during the NCAA Tournament's first weekend for the fourth straight season, it was rookie Kelly Ethier '12 who came up with the big play.

With the shot clock at one second, Ethier blocked Western Connecticut sophomore guard Heather Lee, causing a shot clock violation. The Judges would never trail after that play, coming out on top 62-49.

Ethier's block also helped elevate her individual performance. Exactly two minutes after the block, Ethier knocked down a 12-foot jump shot off of a screen for her first two career NCAA Tournament points.

"You could just see something in her eyes [after the shot] that was like, 'Ok, I can do this. This is why I'm here; this is why Coach recruited me,' and I think that was probably her defining moment," Judges' coach Carol Simon told reporters.

Over the last part of the season, Ethier and fellow rookie Morgan Kendrew '12 have made key contributions to the Judges. They continued to star in last Saturday's second-round win against Mount Saint Mary College. Ethier notched a career-high 13 points on 4-7 shooting, including a perfect 2-2 from behind the arc, to go along with three rebounds, three assists, one block and one steal.

"I definitely think I was playing off of everyone else around," Ethier said. "When everyone else is playing well around you, it comes a lot easier."

Kendrew dropped 12 points, also on 4-7 shooting, which consisted of three three-pointers on four attempts in a career-high 29 minutes. She also grabbed three rebounds, dished out three assists and had one block and three steals in her ninth start since point guard Lauren Rashford '10 suffered a season-ending knee injury in a Feb. 3 practice.

The two players have been able to transition into college basketball just as the Judges began their 6-1 late-season run. They say a close-knit locker room and strong team chemistry have helped make that transition easier.

"Our whole team is really tight," Kendrew said. "Especially the five freshmen, we're all really close, and it definitely helps because we're all friendly to each other and we like each other, so it helps playing on the court."

But they have also relied on each other. When asked about their friendship, Ethier shot a grin at Kendrew, who was standing nearby.

"Me and [Kendrew] get along great," she said. "We have an understanding of what each other's abilities are, and we play really well with each other, and I think we support each other really well, so it makes it so easy for both of us to play really well together."

As the Judges go on to the third round and beyond, they will keep relying on the two rookies to continue to contribute beyond their years.

"[Coach Simon] is always telling them to not play like freshmen because they're not freshmen anymore, and I think they are definitely ready to pick it up," forward Amanda Wells '09 told reporters after the win over Mount Saint Mary College. "They don't play like they're freshmen anymore."

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