Comment and Photos By Drew
Moody for the Hur Herald
At the beginning of the 2007-08 season, after losing four graduating seniors, among the most talented basketball players in the country, plus a freshman standout, and the head coach -- there was quiet speculation the team would be lucky to have a break even season.
Friday, appearing in the semi-finals of the WVIAC, Glenville State College's Lady Pioneers ended the season losing to Fairmont 67-62. As far as tournament standing, they left the court as one of the top four teams in the WVIAC.
Their overall record is a very respectable 18-12.
Just two days earlier the Lady Pioneers upset the #2 seeded
team, West Liberty.
Karina Kendrick fights to score final
two points of the game, and her career.
Friday, as the 1 p.m. game got underway Fairmont took control early. They scored 11-seconds after the opening tip-off.
The Lady Pioneers tied the score once, but never led during the first half.
But, to their credit, despite a couple of nagging minor injuries, and Karina Kendrick's long battle with a staph infection, Glenville held on.
At halftime Fairmont led by a three-point margin, 31-27.
Fairmont quickly increased the lead to 11.
Christine DiSabato drives
down the middle for two.
In just under three minutes into the second half, Fairmont bumped the advantage to nine.
The Lady Pioneers suffered a series of turnovers, the game got increasing physical, and at the fifteen-minute mark they were down by 11.
Then amazingly during the next nine minutes the Lady Pioneers outscored Fairmont 15-5 and closed the lead to a single point with 6:28 left.
At the 5:17 mark and again with 4:32 left, the Lady Pioneers tied the score.
They had played "with heart" to such a degree, as a team, they overcame many obstacles.
At this juncture, they were shooting less than 40-percent from the field in the second period.
Over the next three minutes Fairmont jumped in the lead, with a four point advantage.
But, with 1:04 remaining in the game the closed the gap once again, trailing 61-60.
Fairmont made a couple of foul shots and led by three 63-60 with under a minute to play.
With 28-seconds left Karina Kendrick hit a jumper from the baseline, again making it a one-point game, 63-62.
Miranda Reed drives the baseline.
It's fitting the last point scored by the team during the 2007-08 season was also the last shot Kendrick took as a Lady Pioneer. It would have been fine if that last shot would have been the winning shot of the championship too.
At the buzzer Fairmont had a 5-point advantage 67-62.
Donita Adams was the team's leading scorer with 25. Mallory Menendez was the only other Lady Pioneer in double figures with 10. Kendrick had nine.
This season was a victory of a different kind
The 2007-08 Lady Pioneer women and coaches worked together and overcame adversity. It's the kind of "life lesson" they won't forget and no lecture can teach.
For example, last year, the Rachel Redick led team literally had a much easier time of winning. The overall talent pool was deeper, the team was more mature, and they intimidated nearly everyone who stepped on a basketball court with them.
A weakness Glenville has had all season is not enough players who: (1) are quick enough, and (2) comfortable driving to the basket in traffic. As a result Donita Adams was the primary player who could open up the inside. Consequently, the Lady Pioneers relied heavily on back-court shots.
Glenville relied heavily on the "dead-eye" 3-point shooting of Mallory Menendez. However, she suffered a minor knee injury within the past few weeks. The numbers indicate the injury affected her scoring ability.
Senior Karina Kendrick nailed 18 double-doubles for the season. Imagine what she may have done had she not been physically compromised with a staph infection much, if not all season.
Mallory Menendez proved to be an "ace" from the outside, having a seeming dead-eye from any range. Menendez is also one of the best ball-handlers on the team. She also understands the game, and there's no guesswork when she's working the court.
Miranda Reed's confidence, shooting, and ball handling ability continued to improve all season.
Suzi Harvey stretching for an offensive rebound.
Christine DiSabato, like Kendrick, is just plain tough. When the year began fans
knew the two players they could count on were these two players. DiSabato's range,
compared to the previous year, has expanded significantly.
The two players whose performance improved the most were Kristen Golden and Donita Adams.
As the season began Golden seemed unsure of herself. Her shots were mostly confined to
underneath the basket.
At season's end, what a day-for-night difference. In one recent game, she was low on the
outside. With what seemed like a "twinkle" in her eye, she looked down and saw she was
just inside the three point line.
She stepped back, fired and "swoosh," a perfect shot. Fans didn't see that earlier in the
season. She also stepped up the pace of her entire game, rebounding, holding her own
under the net, and was always a scoring threat.
Donita Adams is simply a "do everything player." She can out-jump her teammates, run
faster, handles the ball with confidence, and was often high-point scorer.
The Lady Pioneers proved they are staying in the race.
With a little recruiting luck, the addition of a couple of stronger and taller players
would improve the mix.
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