While the youth and inexperience of the Baker University women’s basketball team has been evident in its first nine games of the season, it had the chance to start from scratch Thursday in its conference opener against Avila University.
“Our coach has been saying all week that we’ve been practicing that are preseason doesn’t count at all any more,” senior Rae Lynne Stewart said. “Our conference season, the real season (started Thursday.)”
Although the results for Thursday’s game were not available at presstime, senior Gloria Atanmo believes the team has benefited from the eight days off between its last non-conference game against Columbia College the game Thursday against Avila.
“I think practice has been good,” Atanmo said. “ We needed that break to get back with our families for Thanksgiving break and then get back and regroup, restructure and get ready for conference. You know, I’m really encouraged by this group because as far as I’m concerned, we’re 0-0. We still have a chance to win a conference championship.”
Atanmo thinks the Wildcats have learned some things from playing against some nationally-ranked opponents and they will use that to their advantage in conference play.
“It is definitely going to be competitive from the top to the bottom spot,” Atanmo said. “Every team can compete to be in the top three in the conference, so there are no nights off or easy wins.”
One of the things BU has struggled with so far this year is getting out to an early lead and then having to battle back from a large deficit in the second half.
“I feel like when we start games that we are usually kind of nervous and we turn the ball over too much, so we’ve really been working on that in practice,” junior Alisha Fanshier said.
Through the first nine games of the season, the Wildcats are 1-8, but have outscored their opponents in the second half five times.
Offensively, the Wildcats have been led by Fanshier and Atanmo in the first nine games and will look to count on them for the conference season.
Fanshier leads the Wildcats with 13.3 points per game with Atanmo is averaging just short of a double-double with 9.5 points and 7.38 rebounds per game.
“Before the season started, I sat down with (head coach Ben Lister) and went over some of my personal goals,” Atanmo said. “I told him that I feel like I am capable of averaging a double-double, so I just have to start working harder and be more accountable for how I play.”
The Wildcats will play their first conference road game against Missouri Valley College at 2 p.m. Saturday in Marshall, Mo.