Hay Field House hosted the return of college basketball on Oct. 29, where the Principia women’s basketball team defeated Lewis & Clark Community College 87-53 in an exhibition match. The Panthers now look to carry this momentum into the official start of the season with games scheduled for Nov. 8 against Welch College and Nov. 9 against Covenant College.
Coming off a historic 15-win season, with 12 conference victories, the Panthers reached their third-highest win total since joining the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SLIAC) and their second-highest number of conference wins in program history. The 23-24 season ended with a 65-56 loss to Westminster College in the semi-finals, following their first home tournament victory in 17 years.
Team Captain Ariana Williams shared the team’s goal of “keeping that going, keeping that rolling,” as they aim to improve on last year’s 4th-place finish, secure another home playoff game, and win the championship. Williams also has the personal goal of making her second consecutive appearance on the All-Defensive team, demonstrating her commitment to both her individual growth and the team’s success.
Williams was not the only player to collect individual awards in the previous season. Juniors Taylor Brown and Trinniti Matthews, were respectively awarded the SLIAC Second Team All-Conference and SLIAC All-Tournament Team selections. With the addition of 11 new players to the 24-25 roster, the team has become even deeper and more talented, “we can definitely go deeper down the line, last game our bench scored 20 points,” added Williams about the team’s depth.
All the players in the roster are fast, can shoot the ball, can attack and play defense, said Williams, who is proud of her teammates. Louisiana State University transfer Erinn Porter agrees, saying that the team’s diverse talent will make them difficult to beat. Porter also said, “One of our biggest strengths is our camaraderie and support for one another. Everybody is so supportive and that adds to our chemistry.”
With a deep and closely bonded roster, and under the 22-23 SLIAC Coach of the Year, Ramiro Dominguez, the 24-25 basketball season is looking bright for the women’s team. Ranked 5th in the SLIAC power rankings, the Panthers will make their home opener on Dec. 5.
