Catching Up With Women's Basketball
Janessa Lofton shoots a three over a Northern Essex Knights defender. Photo: Connor Chrusciel
CONCORD, NH — The NHTI Lynx will be busy for the remainder of the season, having postponed three games before winter break. Compared to the first two months of the season, they will play three times as many games in the final two months.
Where they stand.
The team stands with an overall record of two wins, three losses, opening their season with a win against the Albany College Panthers, and beating the Northern Essex Community College Knights.
The 57-54 conference win against Albany plants the Lynx firmly in the middle of the Yankee Small College Conference (YSCC) standings. The Lynx hope to capture a win early in the second half. Their next opponent, the Vermont State University–Randolph Knights are currently 0-3 against YSCC teams.
Lookout for Lofton
Lynx Senior, Janessa Lofton is a graduate of Nashua North and is closing in on the career milestone of 1,000 points. Currently, her career total sits at 825. Lofton is averaging just over 15 points-per-game this season, putting her on pace to capture the illusive milestone. If Lofton is able to play every game remaining on the regular season schedule, she only needs to average 11 points to hit 1,000.
Reaching 1,000 points is an impressive feat for any level, but especially NHTI, an institution that has a primary focus on two-year academic programs opposed to four-year.
History of 1,000
The last Lynx women's basketball player to reach the 1,000-point benchmark was Riselly Deoleo in 2017. Deoleo is a Manchester native who attended Bishop Brady prior to her college career.
Jessica Hardiman, the first-year head coach for Lynx women's basketball, is also a former Lynx 1,000-point-scorer. Hardiman played from 2008-2012, making the All-Conference team three times.
Rounding out the roster
Maggie Brown (Manchester, NH / Pinkerton Academy), and Alexis Christensen (Hardwick, VT / Hazen Union High School), were soccer teammates during the Fall. The two are each averaging 12 and 13 points-per-game respectively.
Christensen has been the best sharpshooter on the Lynx this season. She is still averaging 40% from bonus distance.
Emma Broadstone is a spark-plug for the team. Broadstone averages ten rebounds and two steals per contest. She's a facilitator that can be trusted to take confidence away from the best opponent shooters.
Up next
The NHTI Lynx ease back into competition after Winter Break. They expect to win their January 11 game against VSU-Randolph, but the most difficult part of the schedule follows. After VSU-Randolph, the Lynx will play Berkeley College, UMaine–Augusta, and UMaine–Fort Kent, all teams that are considered elite in the United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA).
Those difficult games mid-season will iron the Lynx for a streak of seven in-conference games stacked up at the end of the season. Hardiman aims to keep the team healthy and hopeful to enter the playoffs as high as the four-seed.
