After a stretch that tested the ability of the Saint Louis University women’s basketball team, the Bills (7-11, 2-1) are back at home and looking to capitalize on recent successes.
The team went 4-8 over Christmas break, and the Atlantic 10 Conference recognized two SLU players for their outstanding play on the court. Sophomore guard Theresa Lisch was named A-10 Player of the Week in late December and, last week, sophomore forward Amy Klotz received the same honor.
Lisch’s return to the court from her injury has proven beneficial for the team, as she is averaging 18.6 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.8 assists and is shooting 89.3 percent from the foul line.
She has consistently led the team in points and assists, but she admits that her turnaround has not been easy.
“We don’t expect practice or games to be a walk in the park,” Lisch said. “We’re going to be competing. There will be frustration and obstacles. That’s the fun of it; that’s what makes us a good team.”
Last Saturday, the Bills suffered a loss to A-10 rival Charlotte (12-7, 3-0). The team faced an 11-point deficit at halftime but put up a defensive fight in the second half to come within 2 points of the lead. Charlotte held on, however, to beat the Bills 62-56.
Women’s basketball coach Shimmy Gray-Miller said that to be a contender for the A-10 Championship, her team will not be able to struggle out of the gate like it did against Charlotte.
“Right now, we struggle with consistency,” Gray-Miller said. “Against Charlotte, we were terrible in the first 20 minutes and spectacular in the last 20. If you’re talking about a championship-caliber team, they don’t have those lulls.”
Gray-Miller did say, though, that this year’s team is the best she has seen since her arrival at SLU. She notes “fewer headaches and less Ibuprofen” compared to the last two seasons.
“In every aspect, we are more talented and more skilled,” Gray-Miller said. “This team has a better basketball IQ. They have a great chemistry . The biggest issue we face is depth. There is a tremendous drop-off [in talent] from my top seven to my bottom four. That’s why our record is not indicative of our talent.”
The team has started conference play off with a bang this season going 2-1, the best start SLU has seen in 20 years. The team will see A-10 teams Rhode Island and Richmond at home before finishing the month at Xavier.
The Billikens finished 4-10 last year in A-10 play.
“We can’t break down,” sophomore guard Katie Paganelli said. “We have to come out and play harder and do the little things.”
Gray-Miller expects the team to perform well against A-10 rival Richmond University, who comes to St. Louis Saturday.
“We’re clicking now that conference has started,” Gray-Miller said. “That’s really the time we want to be peaking. I’d rather struggle in the beginning than when conference starts.”
SLU faced Rhode Island Jan. 23 and lost to the Rams 82-73 in overtime. Gray-Miller, though, said the team looks to have a strong showing against Richmond Jan. 26, despite coming off the loss.
“We’ve had success against [Richmond] the past few years, never lost to them, in fact,” Gray-Miller said. “They have a great guard who is one of the most prolific scorers in the A-10.”
Gray-Miller said winning at home is a must and that the team needs to “take care of business at home.”
