The women’s basketball team has seen better days. Having won only a single contest in its last 14 attempts, the Red sit in the cellar of the Ivy League standings at 0-2, with a 2-14 overall mark. It is still searching for its third win, a feat that was accomplished in the team’s seventh game a season ago. However, one overwhelming positive that can be pulled from its less-than-stellar winning percentage is the continual development of freshman guard Lindsay Krasna. Yesterday, the league office named Krasna the Ivy League Rookie of the Week for the fifth time this season.
“She is doing terrific,” said head coach Dayna Smith. “She is leading us in scoring and has been very aggressive in attacking the hoop.”
Krasna has been impressive to say the least. In the Red’s last game against Columbia, Krasna scored a game high 18 points and eight rebounds to keep Cornell close until the bitter end. At one point in the first half, Krasna put the Red ahead 29-22 with a 7-0 run of her own.
“During the run, most of my points came off passes from my teammates and I was able to knock down the shots,” Krasna said. “After that I got some momentum. I definitely credit my teammates a lot because they found me when I was open.”
With three minutes to go and the Red behind by ten, a 9-0 run cut the lead to one. The spurt culminated in a traditional three point play by none other than Krasna. Unfortunately for the Red, the Lions hit their free throws in the final minute and Cornell fell just short of capturing the victory.
Against the Lions, Krasna also dished out three assists and had three steals — both team highs. In the Red’s two league games thus far this season, Krasna has compiled 14.5 points, seven boards, 3.5 assists, and three steals per game. However, her great play has not been exclusively shown in those two contests alone. In the team’s last non conference game against Army, Krasna again put up big numbers with 11 points and four assists. Along with sophomore Claire Perry, the two combined for 23 of the Red’s 41 points.
“I am very excited to be contributing and I want to keep it up,” Krasna said.
Even though the award for Ivy League Rookie of the Week only compares her statistics against fellow freshman, Krasna stacks up very well against the rest of the league as well. In 16 games, she is averaging 11.9 points per game, which puts her in ninth place in the league. This is from a player that only scored 13 points in her first two games and was held under 10 points in three of her first five, while she adjusted to the college game. Her scoring average should only improve as the season winds down. Her 89.4 free throw shooting percentage is also good for second in the league.
“She picked up her intensity level very quickly,” Smith said. “She is very dedicated and works at her game a lot.”
At Pennsbury High School, Krasna sits atop the team’s all-time scoring list with 1,293, averaging15.4 points, 5.6 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 2.8 steals per game. Her play in her senior year earned her all-county and all-league honors.
Archived article by Bryan Pepper
Sun Staff Writer