BY DUSAN VUKSANOVIC
The women’s basketball season is well under way, and GMC opened with a slam. Up until December 3, the Lady Eagles won three out of four games, beating some of the teams that they lost to the year before. “I think we’ve gotten off to a great start,” noted head coach Jen Heath.
In spite the fact that all of the players who won the Independent Conference Championship in 2007 are back, GMC was ranked fifth in the North Atlantic Conference (NAC) preseason coaching polls. Since this is Eagles’ first year in the NAC, they will have to work hard to prove themselves in the new environment. “The keys are going to be confidence and boxing out to gain rebounds and make positions on offense,” Heath noted. “Any of our girls can score double-figures on any night.”
Two freshmen, Ashley Day and Carleigh Casey, strengthened the Eagles at the start of the season. Day has already left a positive impression on the team in a game against Anna Maria
College, where she recorded 14 points, two rebounds, and three steals, and was later honored as the NAC Rookie of the Week for that achievement. “Both Day and Casey have a potential to impact [the team],” Heath remarked.
Pressure is on the Lady Eagles to repeat the success from last year. Although they’re not the favorites, Heath is hopeful that her team will be able to make it to the NAC Championship. “That’s definitely the goal,” said Heath.
“We have high hopes for the season and each game we plan to get better. By the time the end of the seasons comes around, we want to be ready for our playoff run.”
