By Christian Hince | December 11, 2023
“If they were giving out style points, today we received zero,” said University at Albany head coach Colleen Mullen after a 49-39 home victory against the Lady Red Foxes.
Kayla Cooper (#20) driving on a layup Saturday against Marist.
Photo Credit: Bruce Dudek/UAlbany Athletics
Down 37-36 during a media timeout with 4:38 left in the game, the Great Danes kept calm and went on to dominate until the clock hit 0.0.
“We just told each other that ‘we're not losing this game. We know what we have to do,” Helene Haegerstrand said.
Haegerstrand scored the next seven points out of that timeout. She shot 5-12 Saturday for 13 points total, struggling from mid-range most of the game.
“Even though [my shots] haven't been falling as much lately, I still know that [my teammates] want me to take the shot and eventually it's going to go in,” Haegerstrand said.
She went 3-5 from three and was the only Great Dane to hit from beyond the arc all day.
Kayla Cooper arguably put the team on her back, double-doubling with 23 points and 13 rebounds with 9-16 shooting, also leading the team in steals with four.
“[Cooper] was a monster,” Mullen said. “She’s just so talented, influencing the game on both ends of the floor.”
UAlbany’s team offense however was poor, shooting 31.6% overall while everybody other than Cooper and Haegerstrand compiled a 4-29 mark from the field. The Great Danes often found themselves forced outside on offensive possessions.
“They were in the gaps a lot, so it was kind of hard for us to drive,” Cooper said.
Marist led for just over 19 in-game minutes while the Great Danes led for 11:39. UAlbany was especially under a crunch in the third quarter, where they trailed for all 10 minutes. “We got a little tight,” Mullen said. “I just told everybody, ‘we're fine, take a deep breath.”
On a day where scoring was at a premium, the Great Dane defense came through, holding Marist to 30.3% shooting and beating the Lady Red Foxes in points off turnovers 17-4.
Now at 7-2, UAlbany continues their three-game home stand Monday against Dartmouth.
Comments