The only great thing about an exhibition game is that one gets to see all of the players play because our teams generally outplay the exhibition teams. Cowgirls won 106-47.
I can't believe I'm saying this, but I have nothing critical at this point to say about any of the women. There have been plenty of teams in the past where there were clearly players that couldn't keep up with the pace of the game and made many errors due to inexperience. Even though the Cowgirls were playing against a lower level team, they played tonight as if it were a championship game, fighting for each and every ball.
Only one player didn't play. Marta Savic was in a boot. I don't know how long she'll be out. Two freshmen surprised me, Allyson Fertig and Emily Mellema. I believe they'll both be seeing playing time this year. Cowgirls had 16 steals and 49 rebounds. 35 of the rebounds were defensive because we made most of our shots. Our inside game is much improved; we finally have a couple of taller players, 6'3" and 6'4". Salazar"s wingspan seems big and she was able to reach many rebounds (8) due to her height and long arms. Grace Ellis had 14 points, and Fertig had 12. Bradshaw finished as high scorer at 17; Sanchos Ramos had 14. Four others had 8 points (Olson, Ustowska, Barnes, and Salazar).
My one concern was the defense against the three. We're going to play some tough teams that shoot the three really well. It was hard to tell in this game if we're prepared to take on the top shooting teams in the MWC.
The biggest take was that no matter who was out on the court or what combination played, it didn't seem to matter. Communication was great, the ball moved quickly and the Cowgirls got it done. No one seemed like they didn't belong. Was this just because we played a lower division team or can they keep this up against the top MWC teams?
I'm glad Gerald allowed them to score more than 100, something that was a no-no with Joe. Why should the women play hard only to be reeled in because a score of 100 might hurt someones feelings? That's not what championship teams do. They play hard and get the wins they deserve.
I can't believe I'm saying this, but I have nothing critical at this point to say about any of the women. There have been plenty of teams in the past where there were clearly players that couldn't keep up with the pace of the game and made many errors due to inexperience. Even though the Cowgirls were playing against a lower level team, they played tonight as if it were a championship game, fighting for each and every ball.
Only one player didn't play. Marta Savic was in a boot. I don't know how long she'll be out. Two freshmen surprised me, Allyson Fertig and Emily Mellema. I believe they'll both be seeing playing time this year. Cowgirls had 16 steals and 49 rebounds. 35 of the rebounds were defensive because we made most of our shots. Our inside game is much improved; we finally have a couple of taller players, 6'3" and 6'4". Salazar"s wingspan seems big and she was able to reach many rebounds (8) due to her height and long arms. Grace Ellis had 14 points, and Fertig had 12. Bradshaw finished as high scorer at 17; Sanchos Ramos had 14. Four others had 8 points (Olson, Ustowska, Barnes, and Salazar).
My one concern was the defense against the three. We're going to play some tough teams that shoot the three really well. It was hard to tell in this game if we're prepared to take on the top shooting teams in the MWC.
The biggest take was that no matter who was out on the court or what combination played, it didn't seem to matter. Communication was great, the ball moved quickly and the Cowgirls got it done. No one seemed like they didn't belong. Was this just because we played a lower division team or can they keep this up against the top MWC teams?
I'm glad Gerald allowed them to score more than 100, something that was a no-no with Joe. Why should the women play hard only to be reeled in because a score of 100 might hurt someones feelings? That's not what championship teams do. They play hard and get the wins they deserve.
