By Jared Fields, Sports Editor
A year after advancing to the NCAA II South Central Region Tournament when the women’s basketball team was picked to finish fifth in the South Division, the Wildcats enter the 2005-06 season as the favorites to win the LSC South Division.
The Wildcats didn’t let last year’s success lead to a settled mood in the locker room. Instead, the team worked harder than years past in preparation for the upcoming season.
“They got a taste of success last year, and I don’t think they’re going to settle for anything less,” said head coach Shawna Lavender.
“We worked really hard this preseason, just killed ourselves,” said senior center Jamie Boles-Lord. “We’re definitely ready to start taking it out on other people instead of each other.”
Boles-Lord and the team will get that chance Friday and Saturday in Austin against Incarnate Word and St. Edward’s to begin the season.
The Wildcats finished the 2004-05 season with a 20-10 overall record, and were third in the LSC South with a 10-4 record.
Seven newcomers are added to the three returning starters, as well as three other contributing players. The mix of experience and youth will add a great deal of depth to the team. Lavender said she views this year’s squad as one with great potential.
“We have a lost of people who are willing to put in the work that it takes in order for us to be successful,” Lavender said. “These girls have a lot of high expectations for themselves; all they need to worry about are these 13 players.”
The Wildcats are also quick to point out that while they expect great things this season, their focus is on a day-to-day, game-by-game approach.
“I’m a firm believer that if you start looking down the road then you forget about the little things that you have to do along the way to get there,” Lavender said. Lavender said one of the things she and her assistant coaches preach during practice is the question: “What are you going to do every day in practice to help your teammate succeed?”
“If we take care of what’s on the road today, then we’ll get the results we want,” Lavender said.
Boles-Lord returns as the leading score in the LSC South Division. The 6-foot-1 center averaged 13.9 points a game and was named the preseason MVP this year.
With the division MVP title, Boles-Lord said games aren’t more difficult because of teams keying on her.
“It makes it more fun,” Boles-Lord said. “Just knowing that I have my teammates to back me up, even if the other team decides to double down on me, I have great 3-point shooters to pass it back out to.”
Joining Boles-Lord are two starting guards, who Lavender said can do many things on the court. Sophomore point guard Alex Guiton and senior shooting guard Ashley King will give the Wildcats balance and multiple scoring options. Guiton started at the point as a freshman last year and is expected to step up as a more vocal leader for the team. She averaged 8 points a game and shot 35 percent from 3-point range.
“She’s a great threat as a shooter and a penetrator,” Lavender said about Guiton. “Defensively, she’s so quick that she can guard anyone on the floor.”
“Having a year of experience definitely helps,” Guiton said. “That helps on the floor and the fact that my teammates trust me; I have no worries or nervousness about this year.”
King, a 3-point threat, holds numerous 3-point records at ACU, including most made in a career, season and best percentage in a season.
“She’s one of those players that just plays hard all the time,” Lavender said about the versatile King. “It’s real hard to keep her off the floor just because she makes us a better team when she’s on the floor.”
The three returning players who will be competing for a starting position are seniors Kierstan Barbee and Haley Hammond and sophomore Ashlee Barr. Barbee is expected to fill in the 3-guard spot after averaging 9.3 points per game last year. Barr, Hammond and transfers Lacey Blau and Kristee Davidson are battling for playing time in the post, next to Boles-Lord at center.
Lavender said that 6-foot freshman center Audrey Maxwell, an Abilene High graduate, has been impressive thus far. Maxwell is very athletic in the post and could cause match-up problems for other teams, Lavender said.
“She’s done a great job coming in as a freshman,” Lavender said. “She has to play Jamie every day in practice, and that’s only making her better.”
With the amount of depth Lavender has, she said her plan is to wear opposing teams down and be in better shape for the final five minutes of the game.
The Wildcats first chance to play in front of the home crowd will be Wednesday at 3 p.m. against Northwest Missouri State.
