 "Photo: THE REVIEW/Andy Bowden")
The Hens’ women’s basketball team has started their 2009-10 season at .500 with a record of 3-3. With a roster complete with five upperclassmen that have collected a total of 12 letters , one would think a starting lineup would be simple task. Repeating the past with a beginning schedule full of away games, pressure is on for young, talented new faces to step onto the court, thus bringing a challenge to head coach, Tina Martin.
“The beginning of our season has brought ups and downs,” Martin said. “I have found myself juggling a starting lineup for many different reasons.”
Injuries have put a hold on Martin’s game day strategies. Having to come to terms with three injured starters, other players have been forced to step their game up to get wins for the Hens.
“I consider our team to be rather young,” Martin said. “I have been starting three freshmen, one sophomore, and one junior. Having my top freshman, Elena Delle Donne, miss two games on an ankle sprain really set the tone for the other girls.”
Elena Delle Donne injured her ankle on Nov. 27 while leaping for a ball in the Hens’ 72-43 win over Houston.
Delle Donne has been the team’s leading scorer in the games she has played. Coming off of the team’s latest win versus UMBC, Delle Donne had a high of 20 points and nine rebounds. Saturday was Delle Donne’s first game back from rehabbing her ankle in a 70-61 win over UMBC.
“Elena is a really talented athlete, as well as a good passer,” Martin said. “She has really stepped her game up, because of the time she lost due to her ankle injury in the first game of the Colorado Tournament.”
The Colorado Tournament was just two of the many away games the Hen’s have played. The first game was played at St. Francis University. Next the Hens traveled to Princeton, followed by the Colorado Tournament in which they played the University of Houston and Colorado State. At this point the Hens were at an even 2-2 record.
Delle Donne and sophomore guard Jocelyn Bailey agree playing several away games is no easy thing.
“At times it is very difficult playing games on the road,” Bailey said. “One of the top reasons is missing classes, but as far as basketball you are going to an unfamiliar court and also having to deal with the other teams’ fans and referees. The home team on the road always has the fair gain unfortunately.”
Martin believed the Hens have played a difficult schedule.
“In a sense of coaching, scheduling has been really unfair to us this year,” Martin said. “It sometimes feels like I have to beg teams to come and play at the Bob Carpenter Center. Our girls do not get to sleep in their own beds and at many games we do not even get a shoot around. That home feeling is lost.”
Once the Hens return to conference play, they will get a chance to play on their home court Dec. 11 versus Navy. The Hens will then play four straight home games against La Salle, Buffalo, Massachusetts, and a conference game against Old Dominion.
“The conference is tough top to bottom,” Bailey said. “I believe James Madison University will be our toughest game on our schedule right now.”
Martin agreed.
“A lot of teams have most of their starters back this year,” she said. “Our conference is often considered the eighth best conference in the country. I believe Drexel, James Madison and Old Dominion will be our toughest games on our schedule.”
Despite the team’s inexperience, the players are hopeful that this season will lead to many wins and that the team will become a force nationally.
“This is the sport that I grew up loving my entire life,” Delle Donne said. “I feel so at ease back on the basketball court where I belong, and I want to help my team as much as possible. We are a very young team, so I feel as if we will grow a lot over the next couple of years and be a team that will definitely make some noise.”
Titles and wins will not be the only highlights of this 2009-2010 Hens’ basketball season. The program’s 1,000th game will be played on Feb. 14 versus CAA conference member Georgia State.
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