St. Thomas University women’s basketball team faced off against Mount Allison University at the Lady Beaverbrook Gym on Feb. 13, losing 60-48.
“I thought we got off well in the first half with a high energy level,” said Head Coach Fred Connors. “The first quarter we were great at moving the ball well.”
“In the second half we couldn’t get the ball down the court,” he said. “We tried to make up for our offence from the defensive side.”
Connors says the team is young and still learning to deal with the mentality of the game. “We got to be tougher coming to the ball,” he said.
The first half of the game was fast paced with high aggression on both sides. The Tommies maintained a strong lead for most of the half, but the final minutes showed the Mounties gaining a footing in the game.
Tommies forward Jessica Patenaude scored the final points of the quarter ending the first half 29-21 for STU.
Connors believes it’s too early to determine what will become of the team this year. “We’re going to play hard,” he said. “Where-ever we end-up, we end-up.”
Connor also believes the team has played better this semester then the last. “I think we’re a lot better, were moving the ball a lot better,” he said. “But were not hitting the shots. We were hitting the shots last semester but not moving the ball.”
Connor feels the team needs to incorporate last semester’s strengths with this semester’s strengths. He feels the team had not overcome many hurdles except a high level of concussion by his players.
The women’s basketball team is actively recruiting new players for this falls new season which is just part of the program said Connors. But Connors is, “more focused on this group,” he said.
The second half of the game started with Tommies Patenaude pass the ball to Sarah Banks from courtside.
Tommies Kimber Miller scored the first two-pointer of the second half.
Mounties Katie Lund returned with a basket brining the score 31-23 for the Tommies.
After a personal foul call by the referee against STU, coach Connors felt the ref’s decision was one-sided. “Three times down here you let that go,” yelled Connors from court-side to the ref.
The third quarter ended with Tommies forward Carissa McTague missing the final shot leaving the score 39-36 for the Mounties.
At the beginning of the fourth quarter Tommies Banks passed to Jayme Hunt. Hunt passed to Katelynn Carver who passed to Lainy Dow who shot but the ball reflected off the rim.
Guard Kimber Miller felt the team did not do as well as they could have. “Our energy level dropped,” she said. I think our defence generated our offence.”
For Miller, she feels the defence could have done better getting loose balls. “We needed to hustle to get our hands on away-balls.”
Miller has high expectations of her team. “I think we will do pretty good at playoffs and if we win, we will go to nationals,” she said.
Miller says the team has played a lot better this semester than the last. “We are communicating more, looking for each other rather than individuals. It’s more of a team, than being more individual,” she said.
During training the Tommies are focusing more on aggression towards one another, “And work harder to be better,” said Miller.
Tommies Kate Carver said the team did not play as well as they could have. “Our defence didn’t do anything. Our offence was not as fluent as it should have been,” she said.
Carver believes the team played best in the first half due to their high energy level. But defensively they could have played better.
“Boxing out, blocking cutters, and offensively we didn’t find the gaps in their defence,” she said.
Carver sees the team headed to playoffs this year. “If we do what we can do, to get where we want to be, we will get gold.”
According to Carver, “The team has been working cohesively as a team (this semester),” she said. “Our energy has picked up this semester compared to the last.”
“We are a young team,” she said. “With a bunch of new bodies we had to work together as a team to find the flow.”
