|
Woonsocket Faces Tall Order in S.K. |
|
|
Monday, 08 February 2010 |
|
By TERRY NAU Sports editor
WOONSOCKET — If height were the main criterion for victory in basketball, South Kingstown’s unbeaten Rebels would be heavy favorites when they walk on to Woonsocket’s court tonight for a Division I showdown with the equally unbeaten Villa Novans.
The Rebels are lead by 6-foot-2 center Alexandra Jones, who has earned a hoop scholarship to St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia. She is joined in the frontcourt by six-foot teammate Annie Lawler.
Woonsocket’s tallest player is junior center Ashley DuBois, who checks in at 5-foot-11.
Sophomore forward Kailey Fugere, at 5-foot-9, is the second tallest Villa Novan player. Point forward and team leader Brooke Coderre is 5-foot-8.
“First of all,” Woonsocket coach George Coderre admitted, “we have to make sure we can deal with their size. They are much bigger than us and more physical. It is really important that we execute our game plan. We need good movement of the ball and good distribution of shots. We have to do the things that have gotten us this far.”
Woonsocket is a balanced team that goes seven or eight players deep against quality opponents. Brooke Coderre leads the team with a modest scoring average of 13.4 points per game. DuBois checks in at 12.6 points per contest.
By contrast, South Kingstown has three players averaging in double figures. Jones cashes 18.6 points per game while Lawler contributes 16.8 points each game.
Point guard Meg Morrissey adds 12.3 points and is the main ballhandler for the Rebels.
“Morrissey runs their team and is a terrific attacker,” Coderre said. “Allie Jones is a good finisher who is multi-skilled and a good passer. Lawler is real strong on the boards and a fine shooter.”
What must Woonsocket do to neutralize its size disadvantage?
“We have to pay full attention to our defense,” the coach said. “We have to keep our bodies between them and the basket. We have to keep them off the offensive boards. It’s going to be real important to play good position defense. We rely on communication among our players on the floor to make sure we rotate.
“We’ve been playing man-for-man defense,” Coderre added. “It is what has gotten us here. What I don’t like about zone defenses is they leave gaps for offensive rebounding. Playing man defense, everyone is responsible for a specific individual. We have to keep our bodies between them and the glass.”
Woonsocket’s team is an extension of its coach, an “old school” basketball player who grew up in Central Falls and still holds to many of the hoop tenets he learned during a stellar high school career. His daughter Brooke is a coach on the floor, a point forward who plays a strong fundamental game on both offense and defense.
Brooke is the key to Woonsocket’s balance as she plays an unselfish game, always looking to find the open teammate for a shot. That concept holds true for all of the regulars, whether it is sophomore guard Michelle Brayboy, senior forward Kofo Olowookere, center DuBois, sophomore forward Fugere or veterans like Nicole Boucher and Lauren Masse who provide stability on the court.
“South Kingstown generally plays more zone than man defense,” George Coderre pointed out. “We’re a good shooting team. We take good shots. We’re not a real strong offensive rebounding team. If we get good shots, we’re likely to knock them down. When we get good ball movement, we’re likely to get good shots. We can’t count on beating them off the boards.”
So it comes down to Woonsocket’s offense creating and making good shots, right?
“Taking care of the ball is critical for us,” Coderre said. “Generally, we keep our turnovers in single digits. If we can do that, with Michelle, Lauren and Brooke doing most of the ballhandling, we’re going to be okay.”
A large crowd is expected for tonight’s game, adding to the adrenalin flow for players on both teams.
“We always stress that every game is the most important game of the year,” Coderre said, explaining how he keeps his team on an even keel throughout the long season. “That way, they learn to play one game at a time. This game, I wanted to play it down, because it’s still only a regular season game, not a playoff game, but then I realized this game is everything these girls have been wanting to accomplish since they joined the program.
“The Woonsocket program was so down a few years ago,” Coderre explained. “There was very little interest and involvement. Then these girls came along and started to build the program back up. For them to play for first place in Division I so late in the season is a dream-come-true scenario. No way did I want to downplay this game. These girls want to prove so badly that they belong.”
Belong? The Villa Novans are 10-0 in Division I and have hardly been tested. South Kingstown is considered the playoff favorite by a slight margin over the Villa Novans but tonight’s game is on Woonsocket’s home court. It is a regular season game with huge meaning for both sides.
“We’re expecting to have a good crowd,” Coderre said. “No doubt the girls will be really fired up. But I think our players are mature enough to play on an even keel and to feed off of the crowd. It’s going to be a great game.” |
|
Last Updated ( Thursday, 04 March 2010 )
|
Horoscope