Lady Bisons Improve During Inaugural Year Despite their record, head coach Phil Watkins was quite pleased with the accomplishments of the Lady Bisons basketball team in only their second year of competition. "This was really our first year of competitive basketball as far as the women's team goes and we knew it was going to take some time ," Watkins said. However , Watkins seemed disappointed in one area. "I felt like we came along slower than we should have ," he said. "Most of the blame I will have to take for that. Near the end of the year we made some tremendous progress. I couldn't have been happier ." Watkins was very proud of this year's squad. "I thought our women did an outstanding job," he said. "Everyone kept their attitude and enthusiasm up in a situa· tion where it would have been easier to just roll over and quit. Our last few practices you would have thought we were still fighting for the conference championship, and for that I was very proud of them. They never quit." The second year of competition also found the Lady Bisons in the rugged Arkansas Intercdllegiate Conference. "We really didn 't know what to expect in the 146 Women's Basketball AIC this year ," Watkins said. "Without a doubt the AIC is one of , if not the toughest conference in the country. We really were not ready to make such a sudden jump." AIC Commissioner Harry Hall also had praise for the Harding women's team. "Phil Watkins and the women's team at Harding have really done a super job," he said. "They have made tremendous progress in only their second year and I am very happy for them." This year was a real learning experience since it was our first year to compete in the Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference . - Kim Tyler The Lady Bisons posted their best record in their young existence, bettering their record of 1-10 set last year. Individual records were also broken. Kim Wilkins, a junior transfer from North Arkansas Community College, set school records for a single season scoring and also set a single game scoring record of 32 pOints against Ouachita Baptist. Wilkins also became the first women's basketball player at Harding Ouch! Ginger Berry yells as she is fouled after putting up a lay-up. - photo by Public Rela - tions Office . Zap! Lynn Blue giues the ball strong mental en· couragement after it has left her hands. - photo by Public Relations Office. to be selected to the AII-AIC squad. Harding's first and only victory in the AIC came on a forfeit from College of the Ozarks· when it was learned that the Lady Mountaineers had an ineligible player. Though progress is slow, progress is being made. A strong returning group for next year with recruiting in key areas could put the Lady Bison into contention for the AIC championship and their first berth in the NAIA District 17 women 's tournament. i:if@::. Women's Basketball Team. Front row: Hodges , Gardner, Sims, Meecham , Wilkins , Moore . Berry. Back row: Watkins·cQach , Tillett, Blue, Huffman , Turner , Tyler, Pryor-graduate assistant, Elrod-manager. - photo by Public Relations Office.
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