The Lady Colonels women’s basketball team is off to another bumpy start since starting the 2006-2007 season. The team suffered road losses to larger conference opponents such as Arizona, Ole Miss, Miami, St John’s, Nebraska and 11th-ranked Arizona State; however, they have managed to emerge from the losses with improvement heading into the Southland Conference schedule. As the team begins play in the Southland Conference, half of their scheduled games appear to become a little easier. Head women’s basketball coach Mark Cook said the road competition has been difficult, but the team has played well and is steadily improving. “The teams we have played have been more competitive but have helped us improve in specific areas,” Cook said.
The Lady Colonels obtained their first win of the season in Coral Gables, Fla. defeating Wright State 65-56 on Nov. 25. Senior guard Claire Barry proved to be a huge asset in the win. Barry shot 57% from the field and 88% from the line to finish with a total of 21 points.
On Dec. 17, the Lady Colonels acquired their first home win by defeating Tennessee State University. The squad trailed by one point at halftime and came back with a second half rally to beat the Lady Tigers 69-57.
The team opened conference play hosting Stephen F. Austin in Stopher Gymnasium on Jan. 4. After a defensive first half of play, the Lady Lumberjacks managed to pull out the win 58-52.
On Jan. 6, the Lady Colonels packed up their bags and headed to Huntsville, Texas to face conference foe Sam Houston State.
The Lady Colonels took control with a 39-33 lead at halftime but the Lady Bearcats rallied in the second half and tied the game 73-73 in the last minute of regulation. Junior guard Nikina Hill hit a free throw with 30 seconds remaining in overtime to seal the victory 82-78.
Senior Guard Jamie Octave led the way for the Lady Colonels with 21 points and four assists. Barry had 20 points with four assists, and Katherine Plummer had 16 assists to tie a school record for most assists in a game set in 1993.
The Lady Colonels are currently 3-12 overall and 1-3 in conference play, and the team is ranked third in the Southland Conference Eastern Division.
Octave leads the team in scoring averaging 17.1 points per game and is currently ranked second in the Southland Conference and 81st in the nation out of all Division I teams.
The Lady Colonels are currently ranked last of 324 Division I teams in rebound margin. The team is shooting 34% from the field, 64% from the line and averaging 18 turnovers a game.
The Lady Colonels will face off against conference rival Southeastern Saturday at 2 p.m. in Stopher Gym. The Lady Lions enter the match up boasting a 10-7 overall and a 2-2 conference record.
