Spartans focus on defense with greater depth
By George Clemen SPECIAL TO THE BEACON NEWS
AURORA — The Aurora University women's basketball team is bringing a new lineup to the 2006-07 season as it looks to improve on last year's 14-13 record with continued emphasis on quick scoring and a new focus on stopping the ball cold outside when it comes to opponents looking to do the same.
The centerpieces of the potent Spartan offense remains senior guards Naomi Guise and Beth Plucinski, but important roles have been tweaked.
After a somewhat quiet first-half last year, Guise came alive down the stretch to finish last season leading the team in points per game (17), rebounds per game (7.2) and shooting percentage (50.8). According to coach Michelle Roof, Guise has only gotten better this past off-season.
"I think this year coming in she's definitely playing the best basketball that I've seen her play," Roof said. "She's our go-to player, she's our go-to scorer."
Plucinski played that role for the Spartans last season, averaging 10.7 points per game, but as starting point guard this season she'll spend more time managing Aurora's offensive arsenal.
"I think with the addition of scoring potential in our starting lineup this year it's taking some of the pressure of her," Roof said. "She's really focusing on distributing the basketball, running our up-tempo transition, (and) not really looking to score as much as she did in the past."
That additional offense comes in the form of sophomore guard Kathleen Thanas and sophomore guard Meagan Re.
Thanas came to AU out of Plainfield Central, where she led the team in scoring, and is "really gonna put up some points for us," Roof said.
Re will be out front in the transition game, and with a team goal of scoring 40 percent of the total Spartan points on the breakaway, she could find herself with plenty of opportunities.
"So that's gonna take the pressure off everyone, and with (senior center) Laura Wiesner rounding out our starting five, I think we have five players on the floor that can score, and score in double figure points on any given night," Roof said.
With off-the-bench efforts coming from defensive stopper junior Rachael Blanton, 6-foot-4 freshman center Brianna Leland, 3-point expert junior Lexi Pioli and back-up point guard freshman Jamilla Tate out of Neuqua Valley High School, the Spartans have some depth.
However, one spot that the Spartans have found themselves lacking at it the past is in the middle. This has led to a gaping hole on defense, especially if foul trouble was an issue. Now AU has several options waiting in the wings in the event that starting center Wiesner finds herself in trouble.
Junior Alison Kohler (Sandwich) returns after sitting out last season with injury, and along with sophomore Dani Gueste and newcomer Leland, they will provide some stability in the middle as the Spartans look to "pick it up defensively in the post areas," said Roof.
Overall on defense however, the Spartans will look to cut off the inside looks by forfeiting size and picking up speed with their lineup, in hopes of forcing turnovers on the perimeter and setting off the transition game, a theory that began to see some success last season.
"We finished up the season 9-1 at home last year ... and we're looking to do the same things: we're gonna push the ball, we're gonna get after it defensively, and we've got some athletes that at the D-III level are a lot of fun to watch," said Roof of the ongoing process that she hopes will put AU in the top three of the Northern Athletics Conference by season's end.
"We're gonna be a pretty good team, especially at home."
The AU Women kick off the season against Greenville College today at the Wisconsin Lutheran College Tournament and open the home season Wednesday against Augustana College.
|
