Women's basketball hopeful despite setbacks

By Simon Hanft

Renewed spirit and enthusiasm have captured the women's varsity basketball team as it looks towards avenging a tough loss at the hands of Brown last weekend. Despite a 73-58 defeat in Providence, the Yale players consider their performance in this contest an auspicious harbinger of things to come, a watershed in their season.

Don't be turned off by the ironic notion of a loss leading to the squad's rejuvenation. Indeed, to anyone watching the game, it was clear that the players were beginning to integrate and manifest the ideals of team basketball.

As rookie guard Cortney Golub, SY '00, noted, "We definitely started to play with more basketball instinct, and we hope that this improvement can extend into our future match-ups."

Throughout the season, the Bulldogs have been plagued by a very specific illness: the second-half slump. While often heading into the locker-room at half-time with a five or more point lead, the team is notorious for "flat" play in the next half.

For some reason, the emotional charge of hearing the starting line-ups fizzles with the sound of the half time horn. The squad can never seem to recapture its initial drive.

Games against Utah (ranked in the nation's top 25 at the time), Howard, Furman, and Ivy League foe Pennsylvania exemplified this disheartening trend which the team now feels both compelled and equipped to reverse.

In light of the team's unbelievable defensive success last season, which earned them the fifth ranking in the nation for fewest points allowed per game, there is no question as to where the heart and soul of this year's team lies as well.

As one would expect, much of this emphasis on defense is due to the basketball philosophy embodied by coach Cecilia DeMarco, who is heralded as a "defensive specialist" by her players.

Her fundamental belief in the game is that as the defense of the team improves, so will its offense. And as this year's team adjusts to the loss of last year's starting backcourt to graduation, its defense is making steady improvement from game to game.

As the coach herself noted, there has been a noticeable improvement in the team's collective ability to contest shots and seal off passing lanes compared to earlier contests in the year against Hofstra and Hartford. More recent battles against Princeton and Penn have demonstrated this improvement.

If this gradual rise in defensive awareness and tenacity perpetuates throughout the remainder of the Elis' schedule, coach DeMarco believes that her team will enjoy the fruits of their labor.

Furthermore, DeMarco's tough practices and intense workouts will be sure to keep the team operating on all cylinders and primed for each upcoming opponent.

On an individual basis, the continued growth and development of last year's freshman wonder, center Katy Grubbs, SM '99, has elevated her to the upper echelon
of Ivy League performers
this season.

Front-courters Grubbs and co-super sophomore small forward Autumn Braddock, BK '99, have made the honorable mention for Ivy League player of the week at different points during the year.

Even more than their play on the court, teammates and coach alike have recognized a parallel growth in these two players' leadership as well, an intangible that will surely become an important factor in the team's success over the remainder of this season.

As long as the Yalies continue to maximize their individual abilites, such as superior smarts and keen insights into the game itself, there is good reason to expect a change in the current trend of letdowns and near wins.

Along with the noteworthy improvements in the departments of team chemistry and aggressive defense, Blue fans should expect a major run of victories against Ivy League opponents for the remainder of the schedule.

Despite the somewhat rough road that the Elis have had to travel for the first half of the season, players and coach alike hope that the remainder of the season will provide for smoother sailing.

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