San Rafael, CA- In their first action since Thanksgiving Break Menlo Women's Basketball made the trip to San Rafael for their second matchup against the Dominican University Penguins. The Oaks defeated Dominican earlier this month by a score of 71-62 but were unable to complete the season sweep as they were defeated by a final score of 59-73.

Pair of Seniors Fill the Box Score

Both Shay Boley and Kiara Brown led the Oaks in a variety of statistical categories for the game. Brown led the team in scoring with 12 points in part to a perfect 4-4 shooting from the free throw line. She was also a force on the glass for the Oaks with eight rebounds, five of which came on the offensive end. Last year Brown was close to averaging double-double and this game should help her get back to her statsheet stuffing ways.

Shay Boley put together arguably the most complete game for Menlo on the night. Boley scored eight points and was also 4-4 from the free throw line as well. But, it was her work as a facilitator and defender that really impacted the game. Boley went on to match Brown's rebounding total with eight boards but also added a team high four assists. Coming into tonight's game she was posting a team high 5.4 assists per game and was right in line with her season averages. Just for good measure, Boley also picked up a game high five steals.

Oaks Battle on the Defensive End

While the results were disappointing the team still has found ways to remain competitive even with shots not falling. The Oaks are still looking for their rhythm on the offensive side of the ball but have been solid on the defensive end of the ball. For the game they held the Penguins to 40% shooting from the floor and 15% from the three point line. They also forced 14 turnovers which led to a solid 16 points off said takeaways. With the Oaks offense taking some time to get fully going, defensive efforts like today will keep the team within striking distance more often than not. They will still need to find ways to manufacture efficient looks at the rim but defense is an element of the game they should continue to emphasize. 

Up Next…

Menlo will continue to be on the road with an away game against UC Santa Cruz coming up on December 6th. The Oaks last played the Banana Slugs during the 2022 season in what was a tightly contested matchup that saw Santa Cruz pull out the 67-60 victory. Having split their last four games with a 2-2 record coach Spataro's squad will look to get back in the win column next week!