Patience leads to experience, and experience leads to results.
The Massachusetts women's basketball team is getting experience now, but the results have yet to be determined.
UMass coach Marnie Dacko is employing innovative strategies to ensure the success of her young team. Specifically, she runs the court with four guards and one forward as her starting lineup.
Sophomore Teya Wright handles the post for the Minutewomen (3-3) and since Dacko instructed her to focus more on rebounding, her fouling has gone down and her point totals are up. After six games, Wright averages 11 points and 7.7 rebounds per game.
Most recently, Wright scored a career-high 24 points and 13 rebounds against Colorado (2-2), when UMass played in the Coors Classic in Denver. The Minutewomen lost the championship game to Minnesota (6-1), who shot 40 percent from the field.
In that game, Wright had two points in 17 minutes because of foul trouble. However, the continuous scoring effort of the Patterson, N.J., native is the result of her off-season training.
When she isn't in early foul trouble, Wright has been good for at least 10 points a game for the Minutewomen.
But Wright isn't the only productive sophomore in the starting lineup. Six-foot guard Cerie Mosgrove averages just more than 10 points per game, most of which come from 3-point range. Mosgrove is statistically the best 3-point shooter on the team, shooting 45.2 percent from beyond the arc and shooting 40 percent overall.
Naturally a guard, Mosgrove is a presence down low, grabbing 18 rebounds on the season, an average of three per game. She has a good handle on the ball as well. Next to junior point guard Kim Benton's 11 turnovers, Mosgrove's 13 is the lowest total among all starting guards.
Benton is also a product of innovation as well. As the point guard, Benton has the ball constantly in her hands; and it is her job to find the open shooter or open lane to take her own shot. However, Benton has shown this season that she is more inclined to give up the ball, especially with a 3-point threat like Mosgrove on the floor, a role in which Benton thrived last season.
With both Benton and senior Sakera Young not providing a strong offensive threat at this point last season, Benton has the edge this year, averaging seven points per game, compared to Young's 5.3. This will need to change in order for UMass' new dribble-drive offense to work this season.
Senior guard Stefanie Gerardot has been the most consistent slasher for the Minutewomen. She is quick and has also been a defensive stalwart this season. Her 12 steals rank her just ahead of Wright's 11 for the team lead.
Gerardot's scrappy play is effective yet smart. While she leads the team in steals, she picks her opportunities well, fouling opposing players just five times this season.
Ball-Hawking a Success
The Minutewomen have a plus-1 rebound margin this season. Gerardot, Wright and sophomore forward Valerie Avebe all have double-digit offensive and defensive rebound totals. Yet there are numerous players who are tracking down defensive rebounds but transitioning their offensive productivity into scoring as well. Most notably, Mosgrove and redshirt sophomore guard Diatiema Hill have double-digit rebound totals but are dominant on the offensive side of the ball as well.
Hill has 17 defensive rebounds and nine points on the season, but the stat that is most eye-catching is her team-leading 22 assists. While her 10 steals make her primarily a defensive stopper, Hill's exceptional view of the court makes her a liability not only for opposing defenses but her open teammates as well.
UMass is not a shot-blocking team this year but it is edging opponents in rebounds (240-235) and steals (50-46). However, once they get their hands on the ball, the Minutewomen must learn to maintain possession.
The Maroon and White have recorded at least 20 turnovers in five of its first games of the season and each time the number of turnovers increased.
Many turnovers have come when nobody is guarding a particular Minutewoman and they often ruin fast-break opportunities. UMass is being outscored on the break this season by seven points.
Turnovers are hurting the Minutewomen, as opponents have scored 99 points off of miscues, compared to UMass' 95.
Having a strong handle on the ball is crucial to winning games. Committing fewer turnovers will leave more time for Dacko to teach her players more advanced plays.
They just need to learn the basics first.
Mike Gillmeister can be reached at mgillmei@student.umass.edu.
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