Washington College
- Feb 8, 2022
- 5 min read
Washington College Shorewomen (12-6, 8-5) vs. Dickinson Red Devils (8-10, 7-7)
Saturday, February 5, 2022 @ 2 PM
Chestertown, MD Penny J. Fall Gymnasium
THE SCHOOL
Washington College is a private liberal arts college in Chestertown, Maryland. Founded in 1782, Washington College is the tenth-oldest college in the United States and the first American college founded after the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
Apparently, the leadership at the fledgling college in Chestertown wrote to General George Washington asking if they could use his name. Washington was like "sure that's cool" and he even served on the school's board of directors for a time.
Currently, WC has around 1,500 students and an endowment of nearly $220 million.
The Washington College Shoremen and Shorewomen compete in the Centennial Conference in NCAA Division III. The Centennial Conference is made up of eleven private colleges and universities in Maryland and Pennsylvania.
Dickinson College is a private liberal arts college in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1783, Dickinson is just one year younger than Washington, and it was the first American college founded after the end of the Revolutionary War. The Dickinson Red Devils also compete in the Centennial Conference.
THE TOWN
After some travel, a bout with Covid, and a multitude of car issues, I'm finally able to get back to basketball games again. Because I hadn't been to one in a while, I wanted to go to one a bit further away.
Chestertown certainly meets that criteria. It's located on Maryland's Eastern Shore, the bit of the state on the opposite side of the Chesapeake Bay. I've been to the Eastern Shore a few times now (though this is the first for this project), and it always surprises me just how different the landscape and culture are from the other side of the state. The Eastern Shore is far less populated, more agricultural, more relaxed, and you can find a body of water just about anywhere you go.
It takes about an hour and a half to get to Chestertown from my apartment. With a population of 5,000, Chestertown is the largest town in Kent County. A leading port city in the 18th-century, Chestertown shows its age with streets full of historic homes right by the Chester River. It's a cozy, relaxed place brimming with charm and history, which is just what you want for Division III athletics.
My lunch this time was from Luisa's, an Italian bistro on the western part of town. This surprisingly affordable restaurant serves up pasta, sandwiches, and pizza. The combination of taste and price must make it popular among locals, as most of the tables there were full. Additionally, Washington College's men's basketball team had a table in the back. It's a shame that I live so far away from Luisa's, because I'd love to go back. Here you can see my plate of pasta, sausage, and peppers.
While no original-to-1782 buildings survive on Washington's campus, the place still feels quite old. They've gone for a classic all-brick theme so everything matches; it's a gorgeous place to walk through. They also really like George Washington there. I included a picture of a Washington statue above, but there was at least one other statue, several plaques, and his signature is on each campus sign.
I thought Washington College had a delightful place to play, but I don't quite know what to call it. The Shorewomen play on Finnegan Court in Penny J. Fall Gymnasium inside the Cain Athletic Center. The website and box scores seem to use the names interchangeably, so I don't know what I should officially call it. Regardless of its name, it's a clever little spot to catch a game. There are bleachers on just one side of the court and those bleachers are right on top of the action. I sat on the fourth row and could have reached out to touch a player as they were inbounding the ball (but that would have been weird). This helped the game's atmosphere, as fans were so close they might as well have been in on the action too.
THE GAME
Admission to Washington College athletic events is free, which I always appreciate. I got there roughly ten minutes before tipoff and sat near midcourt on the fourth row.
It was Alumni Day at Washington College. Between alumni, students, parents, locals, and a surprising amount of Dickinson fans, there was a great crowd. By the end of the game, there were nearly 300 in attendance, and Finnegan/Fall/Cain can't fit much more than that, as some were forced to stand in the corner of the gym to watch.
It wasn't just a big crowd, but an excitable and knowledgeable one as well (including the three highly irritating Dickinson fans behind me). It got me thinking - if WC only has 1,500 students and Chestertown only has 5,000 residents, there's a good chance you're going to know at least one person on the team. That seemed to be the case, as many of the Shorewomen fans around me were clearly friends with players.
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Dickinson's #10, Jennifer Kremp, immediately made herself known. Kremp scored three three-pointers in the first five-and-a-half minutes and scored 9 of the Red Devils' first 11 points. Washington College didn't go away, however, and they only trailed 19-16 after an efficient first quarter.
Halfway through the second quarter, the Shorewomen took their first lead (22-21), and the teams traded leads for the rest of the half. Washington took a 3-point lead (31-28) to the intermission.
Jennifer Kremp was back in the second half and she made everyone know it, as she hit another three-pointer to tie the game. She wasn't the only scorer though, as Washington's #15, Karry Kelliher, and #25, Andrea Prestianne, hit crowd-erupting threes in the quarter. Dickinson led 47-45 at the end of a hotly-contested, tense third quarter.
Early in the fourth, Dickinson took the first two-possession lead of the second half, and the Shorewomen couldn't quite keep up. A late scoring drought ended Washington College's chances, and the Red Devils completed their upset. Jennifer Kremp was the clear star of the game; she scored 18 points with 5 made threes off 9 attempts and she the tone for the game.
Final: Dickinson 63, Washington 52
On the way to the game, Allison and I listened to the latest episode of No Such Thing as a Fish, a podcast we both like. This week's show spent a significant amount of time talking about Tallulah Bankhead. The podcast originally mentioned that she had a parrot who she taught say "Birds don't talk," before speaking more about her life in general. Guess who happens to be buried in Chestertown?
Now, I'm no huge Tallulah Bankhead fan. If not for the podcast, I never would have considered visiting her gravesite. I just loved the coincidence of listening to the only No Such Thing as a Fish episode about Tallulah Bankhead on the same day I visited the small town she's buried in for (likely) the only time.
Why was the eccentric, Alabama-born actress who lived most of her life in New York and London buried in a smallish Episcopalian cemetery on the outskirts of Chestertown, Maryland, a town she never lived in? Apparently, her sister lived on the Eastern Shore for much of her life and they are buried together. As you can see, people have left little trinkets in memoriam, but can anyone explain the Altoids? I don't get it.
Thanks for reading.
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