By Jeff Davis
With an impressive win against Dickinson at home on Tuesday, Head Coach Becky Martin and the rest of the women’s basketball team are ready for a new season.
With five seniors having graduated last year, the team for the most part is starting afresh.
“We’re definitely going to have to go through some growing pains,” Martin said. Having lost some chemistry and fluidity, the team is working once again to find that comfort level and cohesiveness it has known so well.
Seniors Robbin Gregg and Courtney Gogolinski are leading the way this season. Just getting into a long and competitive year, the team is relatively young and is still looking to find its identity.
There’s a definite learning curve in this league, as there is for college athletics in general. Yet with a strong coaching staff, these new players will become accustomed to the level of play very quickly.
After the initial growth, these women should be in good shape. Martin is a veteran, having coached for 28 years and is not worried after the 1-3 start. In fact, she is quite confident in her players and her team as a whole.
She knows that all it is going to take is a little time to get adjusted to the court and to one another.
As the season progresses and the players continue to play together, they will be that much closer to their goal of getting to the Conference Playoffs and ultimately a championship.
“Every time we step on the court we get a little stronger, a little smarter, and a little more experience,” Martin said.
This is a team that has had six, 20-win seasons in a row, three conference championships in the last six years, and has been in the NCAA tournament 4 of the last 6 years.
McDaniel’s women’s basketball team knows what this tradition is all about, and they are proud to be a part of it. As they continue to develop their skill and allow their potential to unfold, these 14 players are going to become a force to be reckoned with.
After the first semester is over and the arduous finals have finally ended, Martin and her team are looking forward to January to work hard and springboard into a fast-paced and successful season.
“It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish,” said Martin.
She’s right. With hard work and a little luck, the women’s basketball team will be right where they want to be.
McDaniel improved to 2-1 in the conference, and 3-3 overall with the win against Dickison. After a back and forth game, Courtney Gogolinski converted a three-point play with 2.3 seconds to go, giving McDaniel the lead and final score at 61-58.