The Grinnell College women’s basketball team has had their best start in 21 years this season, going 7-2 as of Dec. 5, and is hoping to reach the Midwest Conference tournament.
In the team’s most recent game, a tight 67-65 win over Knox College, Sarah Booher `25 made history with the program’s first triple-double, posting a stat line of 23 points, 20 rebounds and 10 blocks.
Prior to that, in a game against Maranatha Baptist University on Nov. 22, the team won 106-35. The team broke three records in the win — most points scored in a game, highest margin of victory and most field goals in program history. Adriana Perez `28, the highest scorer in the game, came off the bench to score the 100th point.
“I had missed my free throw before that, so I was like ‘I need to make this one,’” Perez said. “It was really nice when it went in. And I looked over at my bench and they were all just screaming.”
Dana Harrold, head women’s basketball coach, said she is excited about the potential of this season’s team.
“We’ve had some returners step up. We’ve had some new players step up,” Harrold said. “They’re very confident in what this team is, what the potential of this team is.”
The team hopes to play in the Midwest Conference tournament, which hasn’t happened in five years.
“The last two seasons, we finished fifth and tied for fourth,” Harrold said. “We’ve
been knocking on the door, but we’re really wanting to get into that top four.”
Booher, a team captain, said the team has brought a lot of energy to its games this season.
“We had a lot of fun from start to finish,” Booher said. “We have a saying, ‘All gas, no brakes,’ on our team. And I think you really saw that Friday night [Nov. 22].”
Players said the team’s balanced scoring attack has contributed to its success.
“Anyone can have a big scoring night, a big defensive night, any game,” Booher said. “That makes us a really exciting team to watch.”
Skylar Thomas `26, another captain, added, “Scoring is really balanced. I think everyone’s contributing in some kind of way, and I think maybe that’s different than other years, where contributions were a little more uneven.”
The team also emphasized its welcoming culture.
“It’s a culture of people who really care about each other and want to see each other succeed,” Booher said. “When you care about each other and seeing each other succeed, there’s really nothing you can’t do.
“If I had to describe my team in one word, I would say supportive,” Harrold said. “They do a great job of welcoming new people. So I think so far, our team culture’s in a very good place.”
As a walk-on to the team, Perez didn’t plan to play basketball at Grinnell, but now can’t picture her life without it.
“I can’t really imagine what I would do if I wasn’t here on the basketball team,” Perez said. “It brings a lot of comfort and they’re all super welcoming.”
Fun traditions may have also contributed to the team’s success.
“We’re starting to do stuffed animal tag every home game, and that has gone really well for us so far. We’ve won all the games that we have played stuffed animal tag,” Nikki Ware `25, captain, said, referring to a game of tag where one player carries a stuffed animal, and when it’s given to someone else, they become tagged. “There’s definitely a correlation there.”
With its next game on Nov. 26 against Buena Vista University, the team hopes to keep its winning streak at home.
“We want to be making progress, game to game, so doing a little better than we did last game at some important things,” Thomas said. “We’ve been talking about good passing, ball-faking, just making small steps in the areas that are going to be really important when we get into the conference.”
Booher said the team is hopeful about its prospects this season.
“We’ve always been talking during my time here about being a contender for the conference tournament,” Booher said. “This year this is really a possibility for us to make a statement in the Midwest Conference, to take a lot of people by surprise, maybe. We graduated our leading scorer from the past three years last year in Erin Lillis, but we are coming back with a strong team, a balanced team, and one that I think will win a lot more games.”
