As the end of January approached, the women's basketball team at Chestnut Hill College held a 9-0 record in the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference and had climbed to the fifth spot in the NCAA Division II East Region poll.

It hadn't been easy. After losing in overtime to Kutztown University on December 8, the Griffins (16-3 overall) would embark on a 10-game win streak, but in the early part of that run, injury and COVID-19 regulations sidelined six of the 14 women on the roster. After that, CHC ground out relatively close wins over several CACC opponents who had also cracked the top 10 in the East Region rankings.

On Monday, January 24, the Griffins enjoyed a bit of a break, playing a non-conference home game against a team that arrived with a record of 3-11. Chestnut Hill jumped out to a 16-2 lead against the College of Staten Island, and in the end, CHC doubled-up the Dolphins, 68-34.

Monday's game marked the first time that the Griffins faced Staten Island, a former Division III school that has moved up to join the East Coast Conference. Win/loss records aside, there were other signs that this would not be an even matchup.

The previous Saturday, the Griffins had defeated the top team in the CACC's Northern Division, Post University (Waterbury, Conn.), by a score of 55-50. Post had soundly drubbed the Staten Island Dolphins earlier in the season.

For her performance in the Post contest and against University of the Sciences, 6'2" CHC freshman Emily Chmiel earned multiple honors. She was named CACC Rookie of the Week for the fourth time this season, and also was selected as Player of the Week and Defensive Player of the Week.

She only played in the first half of Monday's game, retiring with seven points and two rebounds. Although this lowered her statistical averages a bit, she still was turning out 12.6 points and 8.4 rebounds per game.

On Monday a lay-up by junior forward Lindsay Lane got the home side of the scoreboard moving, and the hosts extended their early advantage to 8-0 with three-point field goals by seniors Bri Hewlett and Cassie Sebold. Hewlett, a small forward who would record her first double-double in the following game, kept on expanding the gap for Chestnut Hill, adding two lay-ups, a mid range jumper, and two free throws later in the opening period.

Staten Island's Gia Esposito found the hoop from near the foul line for the final basket of the first quarter, but her team still trailed, 16-4. Early in the second round, the Dolphins stopped their slide, momentarily. About four minutes in, the count was 20-11 thanks to six points from the visitors' Jenalyse Alarcon, a freshman forward.

CHC had brought its freshman bigs off the bench, Chmiel and Emily Sekerak (also 6'2"), and after the Dolphins cut the lead to nine a pair of made free throws by Sekerak and back-to-back drives by Lane led to a 10-0 surge by the Griffins. A freshman guard, Morgan "Konkrete Kid" Sterner, popped in a "three", a baseline jumper, and two free throws to help to home team take a 41-20 lead into the halftime locker room.

After managing to put up 16 points to CHC's 25 in the second quarter, Staten Island did not score at all in the third period. The Griffins registered 14 during this stretch, and it was truly "game over".

The fourth round favored the Dolphins, 14-13, but this signified nothing.

Hewlett's 13-point effort, all but two scored in the first half, was the individual high for the victors, while Sterner finished with 10, Sekerak with nine, and Chmiel with seven. Lane scored six points and collected a team-high seven rebounds. Chmiel and Sebold did not play in the second half.

Esposito and Alarcon led the College of Staten Island, with 14 and 12 points, respectively.

UPDATE - On Sunday evening at Nyack (N.Y.) College, Chestnut Hill College had six scorers in double figures in an 82-64 victory over the host Warriors. The Griffins extended their win streak to 11 games, rising to 10-0 in conference play and 17-3 overall.