Sunday, November 30, 2014

ACC/Big Ten Challenge headlines week in hoops


A look at this week's matchups:

Monday, Dec. 1

Virginia Tech at Florida, 9 p.m.
A lot depends on the availability of starting forwards Taijah Campbell (10.3 ppg, 7.0 rpg) and Regan Magarity (14.0 ppg, 10.6 rpg), both of whom sat out Saturday’s victory over East Tennessee State. Campbell has missed three straight games after suffering a concussion. Sophomore point guard Vanessa Panousis scored 24 points on 9-of-13 shooting in Tech’s 71-59 victory over Florida in Blacksburg last season. After this quick trip to Gainesville the Hokies will begin a stretch of six straight games at Cassell Coliseum.

Tuesday, December 2

Hampton at Lehigh, 11 a.m.
Another tough matchup for Hampton (0-4), whose first four opponents were a combined 18-4 through Saturday’s games with victories over then-No. 10 Maryland (Washington State) and then-No. 18 DePaul (Northwestern). The Mountain Hawks (5-0) are off to their best start since current Notre Dame coach Muffet McGraw was in charge 30 years ago. Hampton sophomore guard Malia Tate-DeFreitas has scored exactly 20 points in three straight games after getting 23 in the Lady Pirates’ opener. But the Lady Pirates have had virtually no other firepower – the team's second-leading scorer is at 5.8 ppg, and as a team Hampton is shooting just 24.1 percent from the field, easily the lowest of 349 Division I schools.

Longwood at High Point, 7 p.m.
The Big South opener for both. Expecting a much more determined effort here from the Lancers (0-5), who were humbled by 35 points Saturday at William and Mary – the same William and Mary High Point nipped by seven in overtime on Nov. 23. The Big South defending regular-season champion Panthers were picked to finish second to Liberty this season (Longwood was 10th) and are led by sophomore guard and preseason conference player of the year Kaylah Keys.

William and Mary at Radford, 7 p.m.
Intriguing matchup featuring two teams coming off rousing victories. On Saturday, the Tribe pounded Longwood by 35; the following day, the Highlanders (2-3) went on the road and outdueled Appalachian State. A year ago, Radford lost at home to App State by 23. William and Mary will be looking to post its third straight victory over an in-state foe (VCU, Longwood).

VCU at UNC Wilmington, 7 p.m.
The Rams (3-3) look to get back on track after a nightmarish 32-turnover performance at William and Mary on Thanksgiving Eve. In fairness, the Rams were dealing with a compressed schedule that often had them playing a game every other day (6 games, 13 days) - hardly ideal when you’re trying to master a new system under a new coach. Perhaps now they’ve had sufficient time to work out some kinks. The Seahawks (2-3) have dropped three straight at home, including both games in their own holiday tournament, despite having halftime leads each time.

Wednesday, December 3

Howard at Old Dominion, 11 a.m.
An early wake-up call for the Lady Monarchs, who will try to rebound from Sunday's humbling overtime loss to Rider during the fourth annual Education Day game in front of thousands of energized Norfolk elementary school students. Last year, a Constant Center-record 8,086 fans saw ODU trounce UMass-Lowell 90-57 – a turnout bolstered by nearly 6,200 students, teachers, staff members and volunteers from 32 elementary schools. There's a reason Howard (0-6) was scheduled for this game, but after the Rider debacle, nothing should be taken for granted. Still, something tells us the Lady Monarchs will be especially ready to play this game.

East Tennessee State at George Mason, 5 p.m.
The Patriots are averaging a robust 80.6 points per game and have put up at least 70 in every game. That they also rank last in the A-10 in scoring defense (76.3 ppg) suggests fans should be braced for yet another shootout. Say this for the Pats - they keep things interesting. ETSU (3-4) is coming off Saturday's 72-65 loss at Virginia Tech.

Richmond at JMU, 7 p.m.
The Dukes (5-1) have gone 12-0 against Virginia Division I programs since a 60-48 home loss to Liberty nearly two years ago to the day (Dec. 4, 2012). Two days before that (Dec. 2, 2012), Richmond also went to Harrisonburg and knocked off JMU 70-66.  

Virginia at Illinois (ACC/Big Ten Challenge), 8 p.m.
We never detect much buzz surrounding these annual ACC/Big Ten showdowns, but for those keeping score, Virginia is 5-2 lifetime in ACC/Big Ten Challenge matchups after losing at home to Michigan by 20 last year. The 5-2 record of Illinois includes a 77-71 victory over then-No. 9 Kentucky and an overtime loss to Oklahoma. Both games were played in the Virgin Islands' Paradise Jam. Virginia is 5-1 after splitting two games over the holiday break in the FIU Thanksgiving Classic.

Thursday, December 4

Northwestern at Virginia Tech, 7 p.m.
The first of six straight home games for the Hokies features by far the most formidable foe of the bunch as Northwestern’s 5-0 record includes a 97-91 victory at then-No. 18 DePaul. Virginia Tech has a 2-5 record in career ACC/Big Ten Challenge games after dropping last year's matchup at Indiana 71-65. By the way, not surprisingly the ACC is 6-0-1 lifetime in the series.

Friday, December 5

VCU at Old Dominion, 7 p.m.
A lot certainly has changed since the Rams last visited the Constant Center on Nov. 17, 2012 - only one of the 10 starters (ODU's Ashley Betz-White) and just three of the 22 who saw action (Betz-White, ODU's Tiffany Minor and VCU's Adaeze Alaeze) are still around. And of course, VCU has since changed head coaches. Other than that.... 

Hampton at Penn, 7 p.m.
The Lady Pirates are on the road for the sixth time in their first seven games. Defending Ivy League champion Penn has gone 3-0 against MEAC teams the past two seasons, including a victory over Howard in the first round of the 2013 WNIT.

Saturday, December 6

William and Mary at La Salle, 1 p.m.
The Exporers topped the Tribe 72-59 when these teams met in Williamsburg last season.

Longwood at Virginia Tech, 2 p.m.
Tall task - literally - for the undersized Lancers, 

Liberty at Radford, 2 p.m.
The Big South opener for both. Liberty has won 15 of the previous 16 meetings. including last year's 90-46 decision that Radford coach Mike McGuire accurately summed up as "complete domination by Liberty."

Delaware State vs. Virginia, 2 p.m.
Could be a good day statistically for several Cavaliers as the freewheeling Hornets can score in bunches but also give up points in even bigger bunches (82.7 ppg allowed). Case in point - earlier this year against George Mason, they racked up 91 points and still lost by 19.

Morgan State at Norfolk State, 4 p.m.
The MEAC opener for both. NSU was picked to finish eighth in the preseason while Morgan State was relegated to 13th in the 13-team league.

George Mason at St. Francis (Pa.), 5:30 p.m.
The Patriots crushed St. Francis 97-62 when these teams met in Fairfax last season. This year the Red Flash took an 0-4 record into Wednesday's game at Tennessee.

Hampton at Richmond, 7 p.m.
Only the third non-conference game against an in-state rival in the past three-plus seasons for the Lady Pirates, These two teams haven't met since a 71-43 Richmond victory in 2010. Then-freshman Genevieve Okoro had 9 points and 2 steals in 18 minutes in that one.

Sunday, December 7

JMU at Davidson, 2 p.m.
After this one the Dukes, like most schools, will break for exams. JMU's next game will be Dec.15 at Ohio.

Friday, November 28, 2014

Who's next in the 1,000-point club?


Learning that Richmond's Genevieve Okoro scored her 1,000th point Thursday night got us wondering: who are the top active scorers among Virginia's Division I schools? Well, here's the list - with the cutoff being at least 400 career points - with games played and point total through Thanksgiving Day's action (stats courtesy of ncaa.com):

1. Rae Corbo, Norfolk State -                 91   1,082
   - Cracked the 1,000-point plateau as part of a 24-point effort in NSU's final game of the 2013-14 season.

2. Genevieve Okoro, Richmond  -         102  1,009
   - Both Corbo and Okoro are (New) Jersey girls and redshirt seniors who have rebounded strongly from season-ending ACL injuries early in the 2012-13 season.

3. Toia Giggetts, JMU -                          108   919
   - Estimated 1,000-point game: Jan. 6 vs. UNCW

4. Precious Hall, JMU -                          75     915
   - Estimated 1,000-point game: Dec. 7 at Davidson

5. Ayana Avery, Radford -                     92     901
   - Poised to become the 21st member of Radford's 1,000-point club. Is also just a few games away from setting a Radford record for career 3-points (Avery has 194, the record is 203).

6. Taylor Brown, George Mason -         68     835
   - Includes one season at Georgetown. 

7. Karly Buer, Liberty -                       107     823
   - Includes 773 points in three-plus seasons at Missouri State

8. Daeisha Brown, Longwood -             59      804
   - Brown suffered a season-ending injury in the Lancers' third game. If she receives a medical           redshirt waiver, she will have two full seasons to build on this total.

9. Ashley Rininger, Liberty -                   69     737

10. Sarah Imovbioh, Virginia  -               65     708

11. Malia Tate-DeFreitas, Hampton -     37    679
   - Only a sophomore. There's a decent chance that Tate-DeFreitas, who scored over 3,000 points in high school, will be closing in on 2,000 college points late in her junior season.

12. Jazmen Boone, William and Mary -    89   619

13. Jazmon Gwathmey, JMU -                 74   615
   - With Hall and Giggetts seemingly shoo-ins for the 1,000-point club, Gwathmey, at her current pace of 12.8 ppg, would become JMU's third member this season if the Dukes play 30 more games. So if the Dukes win the CAA tournament and advance to the NCAA Sweet 16, book it. 

14. Kyla Kerstetter, William and Mary -  89   603

15. Faith Randolph, Virginia  -                 65   597

16. Tiffany Minor, Old Dominion -          101   596

17. Emily Frazier, Liberty  -                       94   531

18. Kenia Cole, Hampton -                          84   519

19. Ebony Brown, Norfolk State -               81   513

20. Chelisa Painter, Old Dominion -          88    483
   - Includes two seasons at George Washington

21. Marlena Tremba, William and Mary - 34   467

22. Isis Thorpe, VCU  -  38   444

23. Vanessa Panousis, Virginia Tech -       35   435

24. Ashley Betz-White, Old Dominion -    65   432

25. Liz Brown, Richmond -                        81   431

26. Raven Williams, Longwood -              57   419

27. Keira Robinson, VCU  -                      38   403

28. Janelle Hubbard, Richmond -             34   400


Thanksgiving blessings from Liberty



Thanksgiving blessings from Liberty and coach Carey Green. Wishing the Lady Flames everything good for today's 2 p.m. game against Penn State in the Georgia State Thanksgiving Tournament.


Thursday, November 27, 2014

Happy Thanksgiving from Richmond!



Is that the Spiders practicing on Thanksgiving day? Hey, we understand. Tipoff against Central Michigan in the South Point Shootout in Las Vegas is at 8 p.m. Watch out for Crystal Bradford, and good luck Spiders!


Happy Thanksgiving from George Mason



Happy Patriot Thanksgiving from George Mason, who will play Abilene Christian  in the UMKC Plaza Lights Classic at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. Good luck, Patriots. As always, we're rooting for you!


Happy Thanksgiving from James Madison



Our top-ranked James Madison Dukes play No. 10 Maryland in the San Juan Shootout on Friday at 2:30 p.m. We wish them luck and hope they enjoy their tropical Thanksgiving!

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Longwood loses Brown for season with ACL injury


An ACL injury in her right knee will shelve Longwood star Daeisha Brown for the rest of the season, the school announced Tuesday.

Brown, a junior guard and a preseason All-Big South selection who averaged 23.0 ppg in her first two games, suffered the injury during Thursday's game against Richmond. The school will apply for a medical redshirt.

"The injury to Daeisha is extremely unfortunate," Lancers coach Bill Reinson said. "She was terrific in our first two games and finally looked like the Daeisha Brown from early last season. Dae Dae is a tough-minded young woman and I have no doubt that she will approach her rehabilitation with the same level of determination and energy that she gives every day in practice. I expect that she will return next season stronger than ever."

While obviously a tough blow for Brown, the injury is also a bad break for women's basketball fans as few players in the sport are as much fun to watch. And of course, it removes the key cog from a Lancers team that was shaping up to be a dangerous team.

To their credit, the Lancers played inspired ball for long stretches Monday night against UNC Greensboro before fading down the stretch and falling 70-64. Longwood clearly isn't the same team without Brown. But the Lancers have enough experienced talent left to re-tool slightly and still have something to say about the Big South race.

Read Longwood's release on Brown here.

Monday, November 24, 2014

JMU vs. Maryland highlights big week of hoops


A rundown of this week's games involving programs from across the state:


Monday, November 24

UNC Greensboro at Longwood, 7 p.m.
   - The injury bug, which hit Longwood hard last season, took another bite last week when Lancers star guard Daeisha Brown went down with an apparent knee injury. The exciting Brown was off to a sizzling start, averaging 23 ppg in her first two games. As to the extent of her injury, Longwood head coach Bill Reinson said via e-mail that Brown will definitely not play tonight and her status going forward will be determined within the next day or so. An extremely tough break first and foremost for Brown, who again appeared poised for her best season yet. And it's obviously a huge setback for the Lancers, who have other talented players but no one else quite like Brown.

Tuesday, November 25

Old Dominion at Virginia Tech, 7 p.m.
   - Strange rivalry in that the road team has won this matchup by double figures all three times Karen Barefoot's Lady Monarchs have faced Dennis Wolff's Hokies. ODU has tended to play to the level of its competition - which was a good thing Thursday against Duke - while the Hokies appear to be gradually coming together around impact freshmen Regan Magarity (15.3 ppg, 10.8 rpg) and Rachel Camp (a career-high 22 points Sunday against at Providence). Tech also recently gained the services of Seton Hall transfer forward Sidney Cook, who late last week was granted a waiver and instant eligibility by the NCAA. In her Tech debut Sunday at Providence, Cook had 9 points, 5 rebounds and 2 steals in 21 minutes.  

George Mason at Navy, 7 p.m.
   - Through four games, guard Taylor Brown leads the Atlantic 10 in scoring (23.3 ppg). The Patriots have scored at least 70 points in every contest and topped out at 110 last week in a 19-point decision over Delaware State.

Washington State at Hampton, 7 p.m.
   - Finally a home date for the re-tooling Lady Pirates (0-3) after a rugged opening stretch - at Northwestern, at preseason co-MAAC favorite Quinnipiac, at Kansas State, teams with a combined 8-1 record so far. Then again, these Pac-12 Cougars (3-1) aren't exactly pushovers, either, and games against new AP No. 1 South Carolina, at JMU and at DePaul await on Hampton's absolutely killer non-conference schedule.

Liberty at Elon, 7 p.m.
   - The loaded Lady Flames' first road test comes after back-to-back victories over Atlantic 10 foes (VCU, St. Joseph's). But the Phoenix (3-0) is coming off a 13-point victory over the same Charlotte team that nipped Liberty by two in the teams' season opener.

Wednesday, November 26

Radford at Pittsburgh, 2p.m.
   - Tough road test for the young Highlanders (1-2) who will need to put a complete 40 minutes together to pester the ACC's Panthers.

VCU at William and Mary, 7 p.m.
   - Not sure how the Tribe let Sunday's game against High Point get away, but for the most part we've loved what we've seen from this much-improved group. As for VCU, we haven't quite gotten a read on these Rams under new coach Beth O'Boyle so we'll be keeping a close eye on this one.

Thursday, November 27

Richmond vs. Central Michigan in South Point Shootout (Las Vegas), 8 p.m.
   - The Spiders, who are receiving a couple of AP Top 25, will deserve quite a few more if they can prevail against these Chippewas, who are coming off a three-point loss at Top-10 Kentucky and feature a player who for our money - granted, it's not much - is one of the 10 best players in the country in Crystal Bradford. Go get 'em, Spiders.

Friday, November 28

   JMU vs. No. 10 Maryland in San Juan Shootout, 2:30 p.m.
   - A matchup with a national powerhouse on a neutral court early in the season when you've got veterans and they're still sorting things out.? Now we're not saying JMU should beat Maryland. But these are prime conditions for an upset - if the Dukes play their fannies off. By the way, big ups to JMU guard Precious Hall, who was named Colonial Athletic Association Player of the Week after her career-high 34-point eruption Sunday at Pitt's expense. 

Liberty vs. Penn State in Georgia State Thanksgiving Tournament, 2 p.m.
   - Same song, different verse as the JMU-Maryland deal. At this stage of the season the veteran Lady Flames have a much better sense of who they are than the Nittany Lions. But we're pretty sure that, after a string of quality wins the past few years, JMU will take the court honestly believing it can beat Maryland. Will the Lady Flames hit the floor truly feeling the same way against Penn State? We really hope so, because that's a big part of getting it done.

George Mason vs. Abilene Christian in UMKC Plaza Lights Classic, 4:30 p.m.
   - The first of a potential confidence-building two-game set for the Patriots, who after facing the Southland Conference's Abilene Christian will play the SWAC's Mississippi Valley State.

Virginia vs. Toledo in Florida International Tournament, 8 p.m.
   - Encouraging 4-0 start by the Cavaliers has featured Faith Randolph averaging 20.0 ppg and Sarah Imovbioh scoring at a 17.8 ppg clip (on 67.4 percent shooting) while hauling down 14.8 rebounds.

Saturday, November 29

Longwood at William and Mary, 2 p.m.
   - Last season, the Lancers rallied from a 10-point deficit in the final 10 minutes to top the Tribe 59-52 in Farmville. 

George Mason vs. Mississippi Valley State in UMKC Plaza Lights Classic, 2 p.m.
   - MVSU plays a lot of revenue-generating games against power conference teams. Not sure if the Devilettes really believe they can win those games, but we suspect they'll think they have a chance in this one. The Patriots need to be prepared for MVSU's best effort.

Norfolk State at Tennessee State in Tennessee State Tournament, 3 p.m.
   - The Spartans (0-4) are developing a nice inside-outside duo in guard Rae Corbo and freshman forward Kayla Roberts. 

Richmond vs. Arkansas in South Point Shootout (Las Vegas), 4 p.m.
   - The Razorbacks, who won their first four games, will be coming off Friday's game against nationally ranked Iowa.

East Tennessee State at Virginia Tech, 5 p.m.
   - A reasonably rested Hokies squad will host a ETSU team appearing in its fourth road game (covering Pennsylvania, Indiana and Virginia) in nine days.

JMU vs. Houston in San Juan Shootout, 5 p.m.
   - Win or lose against Maryland, JMU must guard against an emotional letdown against these Cougars. 

Sunday, November 30

Virginia vs. Arizona or Florida International in FIU Tournament, 11:30 a.m. or 2 p.m.
   - FIU took an 0-3 record into this tournament; Arizona was 0-2 heading into Tuesday's game against UC-Santa Barbara. 

Norfolk State vs. Nicholls State in Tennessee State Tournament, noon
   - The Spartans are going to have to deal with Nicholls State forward Emani White (23.5 ppg), who already has a 37-point game this season.

Liberty vs. Georgia State or Samford in GSU Thanksgiving Tournament, 12:30/2:30 p.m.
   - Georgia State features two players from Virginia - senior guard/forward Miranda Smith of Roanoke and junior guard Gaby Moss of Alexandria.

Rider at Old Dominion, 2 p.m.
   - The Broncs of the MAAC went 0-3 in the Preseason WNIT, falling at Seton Hall and Towson before losing a neutral-site affair vs. St. Francis (N.Y.).

Radford at Appalachian State, 2 p.m.
   - As we're sure every Highlander fan knows, Mountaineers star Maryah Sydnor grew up in Radford, Va. and was a high school star at Radford High.

Two-minute drill: Norfolk State's Rae Corbo

NSU's Rae Corbo
Great subject, poor production values.

That about sums up Episode One of the Two Minute Drill (excuse the football parlance), our soon-to-be regular crack at getting to know some the state's terrific players. See, as writers, we certainly know our way around a keyboard. But when it comes to video technology - even the basic stuff - well, Bo, we don't know Diddley.

I mean, poor Rae Corbo. She's patiently sitting there after a tough game against Hofstra, and we're like, "How do you hold the camera?

"Where should I stand?"

"Where should she look?"

Pretty embarrassing stuff, no question. But hey, most 12-year-olds have shooting video from a phone down cold, and we're college graduates. How much longer can it take for us to figure it out?

By the way, do you know of any 12-year-olds with free time on their hands?

Anyway, with a huge assist from Norfolk State's Mike Bello, we were finally able to get a few thoughts from one of the top players in the state in the can. Thanks, Rae. It was fun learning a bit about a player we've enjoyed watching the past few years.

Oh, and ladies, if you think you still have a chance with Kevin Durant, forget about it.

Evidently, he's taken.



Friday, November 21, 2014

ODU vs. Duke: A sign of things to come?


Karen Barefoot likened it to a boxing match.

Going with the Old Dominion coach’s analogy, our takeaway from Thursday night’s Duke-Old Dominion showdown is that the Lady Monarchs can take a pretty mean punch – and can throw a few stiff ones, too.

The No. 7 Blue Devils brought their early season “A” game – or something pretty close to it – to Norfolk Thursday night. But they also brought out the highest level we’ve seen from these Lady Monarchs, who gave as good as they got for long stretches before bowing 82-66 at the Constant Center.

Consider that the No. 7 Blue Devils shots 54.7 percent, were plus-15 in on the boards, got a monster game from Virginia Beach’s own Elizabeth Williams (22 points, 8 rebounds, 5 blocks) and an even more monstrous effort from point guard and former Thomas Dale High star Ka’lia Johnson (18 points, 11 rebounds, 13 assists).

In other words, Duke was Duke.

Now the Old Dominion team that misfired repeatedly in the season opener against  Presbyterian,  or the one that struggled to handle the ball (25 turnovers) Monday against William and Mary wouldn’t have been able to stand up to this.

But Thursday, the Lady Monarchs looked like a group that belonged on the same floor with one of the elite teams in the country.

The difference in ODU’s level of performance had Duke coach Joanne P. McCallie scratching her head.

“I don’t understand their game against William and Mary because they didn’t play that well, nothing like they did tonight,” McCallie said. “They have tremendous potential.”

Now the goal is to win, so given this program’s history it wouldn’t be very Old Dominion-like to break out champagne after a 16-point loss. That said, there’s no question this represented progress.

Last season, for example, too often Old Dominion’s offense could have been titled “Shae and the Kelley-ettes.” But with Duke’s talent and skill demanding a more diverse approach – or else - several Lady Monarchs put their hands on the rope, even if they had to step out of their comfort zone to get the grip.

Forward Chelisa Painter, who normally operates in the low box, took her game to the perimeter and burned the Blue Devils with three jumpers, including a 3-pointer (Didn’t know she had it in her). Yes, Tiffany Minor buries four of her patented 3s. But she also put the ball on the deck a couple of times and attacked the rim (Knew she had it in her, thrilled to see it on display).

Another 3-point specialist, LaQuanda Younger, got both of her field goals inside the arc. Yet another long-distance shooter, newcomer Annika Holopainen, skied (relatively speaking) for a offensive rebound and got a stickback in traffic. And on and on it went.

“I like them. I think they’re better than last year,” McCallie said. “I think they have more players who can score.”

Of course, Duke has players who can score, too. A lot. Old Dominion’s defense was rock-solid against Presbyterian and William and Mary, and the defensive effort was there Thursday, too. But against the lethal-at-all-five-positions Blue Devils, effort wasn’t quite enough.

The homegirl Williams dominated the proceedings like a female Tim Duncan – flash-free but brutally efficient (no jumpers off glass, though). As for Johnson, well, a year ago at this time Duke’s point guard slot was manned by All-American Chelsea Gray and All-American-in-waiting Alexis Jones. Both are no longer in Durham, but after watching Johnson stuff last night’s stat sheet, let’s just say the position remains in extremely capable hands.

 That Old Dominion was able to hang around against this onslaught – the Lady Monarchs were within five at halftime and as close as 10 late in the second half – provided an encouraging glimpse of this team’s upside.

But just as we were careful not to read too much into ODU’s less-than-overwhelming efforts in its first two games, we shouldn’t automatically assume performances like Thursday’s are what we’re guaranteed to get from the Lady Monarchs every night from here on out, either.

A year ago, when Old Dominion visited Duke, the post-game talk from Camp Lady Monarchs was about how well the team played in a 24-point defeat. That sounded good until six days later, ODU opened Conference USA play with a 21-point loss at Tulane. Three days after that, the Lady Monarchs lost by 30 at home to Tulane.

 Last year’s Duke game turned out to be an outlier. Will this one be more of a sign of things to come?


The relentlessly optimistic Barefoot certainly believes so. She insisted that Thursday’s performance against Duke was much more competitive (we agree), and that this is simply a better team than the 2013-14 edition.

The Lady Monarchs certainly appear to have the pieces to eventually prove their coach right. But for now, ODU fans should keep in mind that we’re still only three games into a season with a group that’s still learning to play together.   So far it’s pretty clear this team will always play hard. Playing hard and effectively, every time out, may remain a work in progress.

But at least we've seen what this group is capable of. And if (when?) the Lady Monarchs get to the point where they can consistently produce performances like the one we saw Thursday, watch out.

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