After 13 years and a school record 261 wins, women’s basketball coach Suzy Barcomb left Puget Sound after last season to take a job at Cal State East Bay. She left big shoes to fill for new head coach Loree Payne, but after a rough opening game loss to Northwest, Payne has showed exactly why the Loggers expect to be in the hunt for yet another NWC title this season.
The team’s three-game winning streak started when they traveled south for the Lewis & Clark Tipoff Tourney, hosted by Lewis & Clark College on Nov. 19 and 20. In their first game of the tournament the Loggers beat Oglethorpe 74-45. For their second game of the season it was a clean sweep and they controlled all aspects of the court.
The game changer was most certainly the Loggers’ aggressive offensive. Despite a slow start that had Ogelthrope ahead 15-11 early, the Loggers took control of the game soon thereafter. With the tables turned in their favor, the Loggers continued increasing the gap. By halftime, the Loggers were well-buffered with a 14 point lead, 40-26. They had dug themselves out of the lead with a 55 shooting percentage to Oglethorpe’s 28.6 percent.
On Saturday the Loggers were even more impressive, defeating Whittier by a score of 76-44. Junior Jocelyn Riordan (Lake Forest Park, Wash.) led with 23 points, with fellow Logger sophomore Kelsey McKinnis (Ashland, Ore.) right behind her with 21 points.
Overall, the Loggers had a great offensive night with a 39.3 shooting percentage, versus the Poets’ 29.3. The Loggers were not only on top of their game offensively, but defensively as well.
The Loggers scratched and clawed their way to 49-41 rebound advantage, as well as forcing the Poets into 23 turnovers. And it was clear that practice paid off, as Puget Sound sunk 21 of 24 attempted free throws.
While most students slumbered after a filling Thanksgiving meal, the lady Loggers still practiced to perfect their A game.
The Loggers returned home to duke it out against Trinity on Nov. 28. The final score was 58-44 in favor of the Loggers. Despite the home court advantage, the crowd was less than rousing as many students had yet to return from Thanksgiving break. The players found motivation within themselves to fight. Their goal was solid, unrelenting defense.
Their determination on defense showed, as the Loggers beat Trinity in rebounds 56-34. In offensive rebounds, the Loggers only allowed Trinity a mere six. More impressively, the extra push from defense was crucial, as the offensive waned a little following their previous two impressive performances.
It proved difficult for the Loggers to outperform Trinity offensively, as they shot a little over 30 percent. Despite a strong start, and even a 21-9 advantage leading up to halftime, the Loggers had only a 44-39 lead with less than six minutes left. As the game looked for a leader, McKinnis rose up to the challenge. McKinnis sunk back-to-back three-pointers for a 50-39 lead. This was the start to their 14-5 run, helped by sophomore Lindsay Layland (Homer, Alaska) who put together a huge double-double, finishing with 19 points and 18 boards.
The Loggers will be staying at home to open their conference season this coming weekend with games against Willamette and Pacific.
[PHOTO COURTESY / CHRIS PUTNAM]