Women's Basketball Preseason Report No. 2
10/29/2008 4:04:00 AM | Women's Basketball
STATESBORO, Ga. ? The Georgia Southern women’s basketball team has started to put the different aspects of the game of basketball together by participating in intra-squad scrimmages.
The Lady Eagles are starting their third week of practice and have completed their first intra-squad scrimmage. Head coach Rusty Cram has been pleased with practice so far.
“They have worked hard so far,” said Cram. “However, we were disappointed in their intra-squad scrimmage on Saturday. It was early in the morning, but we weren’t pleased with it.”
Georgia Southern started off Monday’s practice by working on passing then worked on transitions during fast break.
The Lady Eagles also worked on the fundamentals - shooting, defense, transition and running the floor.
“We felt like we got better today,” said Cram. “We are throwing in a lot of new stuff this week. I am very pleased with their effort today. The hustle was there. The intensity was there.”
The freshmen have been gaining strides in practice, but they are still learning.
“The freshmen are coming along well. We have a couple that are moving at a faster pace than others. I am very pleased with them. They will be able to give us some minutes,” said Cram.
Twos and Threes
Ashley Melson (Newnan, Ga.) and Ashley Rivens (Charlotte, N.C.) bring senior experience to the ?2’ and ?3’ guard positions, but experienced depth is lacking.
“Melson and Rivens are your go to people and will get the major minutes,” said Cram.
Junior Elise Whitney (Duluth, Ga.) is the only other returning player at that position. Whitney missed most of last year with an injury but is 100 percent ready for the season. The Lady Eagles will also have to rely on freshmen Samantha Williams (Kingsport, Tenn.), Krista Tate (Atlanta, Ga.) and Brittney Nelson (Rochester, Mich.), a group in which Cram thinks they will all be able to break into the rotation immediately.
The Lady Eagles will open their season at home against Brewton-Parker on November 15th at 1 p.m. For women’s basketball ticket information call 1-800-GSU-WINS.
