Women's Basketball
UC Women Well-rested as WVC Tourney Begins This Week
February 27, 2006
By Mike Whiteford
Staff writer, The Charleston Gazette
On Saturday night — the final night of the regular season — the University of Charleston women moved from No. 3 in the standings to No. 2.
The move was significant, said UC women’s basketball coach Sherry Winn. It gives the Golden Eagles one of two first-round byes in this week’s West Virginia Conference tournament, and it plays into Winn’s thoughts on tourney preparation.
Wheeling Jesuit’s loss to West Liberty Saturday elevated UC past the Cardinals and into the No. 2 position behind Glenville and, as a result of the bye, it allows the Golden Eagles two more days’ rest. Without the bye, UC would be forced to begin tournament play in tonight’s opening round of the WVC tourney.
The extra rest might pay off, Winn noted, if the Golden Eagles reach the championship game.
"If you play Monday and go all the way to the championship game on Saturday, it’s four games in a week,’’ she said, "and your players are going to be leg weary.’’
The annual WVC tournament tips off with six on-campus women’s games tonight and six on-campus men’s games Tuesday, then switches to the Charleston Civic Center for women’s quarterfinals Wednesday and men’s quarterfinals Thursday. The tournament continues at the Civic Center through the men’s and women’s title games on Saturday.
Charleston (25-2 overall, 17-1 WVC) will begin tournament play at 8:30 p.m. Wednesday against tonight’s winner between Concord (14-13, 8-10) and West Virginia Wesleyan (10-17, 9-9). Glenville (26-1, 17-1), which won the regular-season title, will open play at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday against the winner between Ohio Valley (12-15, 8-10) and West Virginia State (15-12, 9-9).
From the women’s perspective, this year’s tournament is especially meaningful.
Glenville enters the tournament No. 1 and UC No. 2 in the East Region rankings, and either the Pioneers or Golden Eagles will finish the tourney as the region’s No. 1 team and thus earn the right to be the host school for the eight-team East Regional. The East Regional winner advances to the eight-team Division II championship tournament.
Winn, of course, would much prefer to play the regional at UC’s familiar Eddie King Gym rather than in Glenville.
"The home-court advantage would be huge,’’ she said. "If we had to go to Glenville, there would be 1,600 screaming, rabid fans. But it’s not impossible to win at Glenville. We did it once.’’
The Golden Eagles, who handed the Pioneers their only loss 85-77 in Glenville on Jan. 26, gear their regular-season schedule toward the postseason.
Each year, Winn prepares the schedule to include a week’s break between the Golden Eagles’ final regular-season game and the start of the WVC tournament. The players use the time to brush up on their offense and defense and regain leg strength.
"For one thing,’’ said the UC coach, "we go back to basics for a while and just review the basics. The second thing is we get a little rest, and that recharges the players emotionally and physically.’’
After concluding the regular season last Monday, the Golden Eagles took Tuesday and Wednesday off and practiced Thursday, Friday and Saturday. After another off-day Sunday, the team is scheduled for light workouts today and Tuesday.
Winn says her team’s fast-break style, as well as her personality, demands considerable energy.
"We play up and down [the floor], and that puts more stress on them,’’ she said. "And I’m an emotional coach, and if the coach is that way, then the players are more likely to be emotional. And if the players are emotional, they’re going to burn more energy.’’