NGU Skyliner

Billy Cannada
Staff Writer

Despite having dropped seven out of their last 11 games the North Greenville women’s basketball team still believes it will be in a position to be successful at the end of the season.

“Don’t count us out yet,” guard Whitney Smith, senior accounting, said. “If we play as a team and with intensity, we could have a successful second half of the season.”

The woes for the Crusaders began with a heartbreaking 73-71 loss to Voorhees College on December 10.  North Greenville jumped out to a 25-point lead at one point in the game, but could not withstand the Voorhees comeback late in the game. The Crusaders were led by Karly Stache, sophomore mathematics, who had 25 points on the night. Other top performers for the Crusaders were Smith with 16 points and Krisceda Cotton, freshman sport management, who had six points and seven rebounds on the night.

The Lady Crusaders were not able to rebound against Reinhardt College on December 12, as they dropped a hard- fought game on the road 68-54. Smith was the top scorer with 13 points and Cotton was also able to get into double figures with 11 points on the night.

North Greenville tried to turn things around with a win at home against Erskine College on December 15. The Crusaders had four players score in double digits to propel them to an 82-74 win. Top performers for the Crusaders included Smith with 20 points, Stache with 13 points, Erin Gray, freshman business administration, with 14 points, and Cotton with 12 points.

The Lady Crusaders’ luck would not last long, however, as they dropped the next four games to Limestone College, Wingate University, King College and the University of West Georgia. Low scoring proved to be a downfall for the Crusaders, as they were only able to average 55 points per contest during their four-game drought. Arledge believes that the Crusaders’ biggest downfall so far this season is the number of turnovers that the team has committed.

“We’ve killed ourselves with turnovers,” Arledge said. “You can’t win ball games when you turn the ball over like that.”

Smith put an end to the scoring drought and the Crusaders losing streak, as she lead all scorers with 20 points in a 90-41 rout of Hiwassee College on January, 16. Nikki Wood, senior psychology, Angela Wilcox, freshman biology, and Cotton were also huge contributors for the Crusaders with 11 points a piece. Arledge said that the win over Hiwassee gave the Crusaders some confidence that they are hoping to build off of going forward.

“Confidence is a big key for us,” Arledge said. “A lot of the (bad) things we are doing are due to a lack of confidence.”

The Crusaders were still firing on all cylinders when they captured another dominating 84-60 win over Reinhardt College in Tigerville on January 19. The Crusaders would have three players score in double figures on the night, Christina Carlis, freshman business administration, with 11 points, Stache with 16, and Smith, who led the way with a game high 19 points.

“We are a good team and now we are giving ourselves a reason to believe it,” Smith said.

The win-steak was short-lived for the Crusaders as they dropped a tough road game to Morris College on January 21. Gray was able to register her first double-double of the season with 14 points and 10 rebounds in the 70-50 loss. Nikki Wood also contributed 10 points in the contest.

Despite dropping an important road game to Morris College, the Lady Crusaders were able to rebound quickly at home on a milestone night for Wood. She scored her 1,000^th career point on the night as the Crusaders (7-11) downed Allen University 83-63.

Smith believes that the success the Crusaders have seen as of late will lead them to post-season success.

“The thing that is great about tournament time is that anything can happen,” Smith said. “If we bring everything we have the rest of the season and at regionals, we might just end up at nationals.”

The Crusaders took on Brevard College Monday night at home. Their next game will be tomorrow, Jan. 28 at 6 p.m. in Hayes Gymnasium against Vorhees College.

Tags: Spring 2010, Vol. 110 - Issue 1

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