WOM€N'5 Lady Bisons share leadership role on team For som e campus organizations , seniority was a large factor in the leadership of the group. But for the Lady Bisons basketball tcam, even the most seasoned players were relatively new to the coaching staff of Head Coach Tim Kirby and Assistam Coach Shane Fulicnon. Howeve r, according to sophomore guard Catherine McMenamy, every player shared a leadership role. "Coach Kirby does a good job oflerting us pick each other up," McMenamy said . McMenamy said tha t while older girls natutally stepped up and rook leadership roles, a senior and freshman had equal srams when it came co making sure everyone was playing to her potential. Four players were on the roster who played fo r previolls coach Scott Francis: senior forwards C helsea McCarty and Jana Pearson and juniors Jacque Fredendall, forward, and Kinsey Tucker, guard. "They are awesome girls," Kirby said. "Whatever we tell them, they never balk." Kirby said the older players also helped the younger players adapt (0 the game and college life in general. "Sometimes older players kind of ignore the younger players and don't include chern in theif everyday life," Kirby said. "Tr's (Otally the opposite with these girls." Pearson said unity in the team was built into the program through the things they experienced together and the guidance of the coaches. "} guess a really big part to that [unity]' (00, would be that we all go to Bible study together," Pearson said. "We scarred this last year, and 1feel [hat has been huge in us getting to know one another better." The younger players included a talented freshmen class. Guard Kelsea Lyda led the team in scoring, ave raging 15.5 points per game. Guard Kairlin May led the team with six assists per game. K irby sa id th e fres hmen handled the challenges of college basketball well. "Our girls have reall y done a good job of coming in and trying to do whatever we ask them to do," Kirby said. "There will be SCORECARD North Alabama' .••.•..•.••.•. 'W 106-98, L72-77 West Alabama' • • •••••• • .••.• • .••••••••L78-85 Alabama-Huntsville' .•.•.••.•.•.W 90-70,W 76-55 Williams Baptist· •• • • • •••••••••••••••••W 88-54 York' ••••••••••••..••••.••..•••••••W 92-61 Montevallo' •••••....•••••••• 'W 66-64,W 61-46 Lincoln' •••••• ••• ••••..•••••••••••• 'W 73-53 West Florida ' ••••••••••••••••••• • •• • 'W 71-47 peaks and va lleys, hopefull y more peaks than valleys." Lyda said the closeness of rhe freshmen class and the team as a whole helped them be successful. "We're pretty tight," Lyda said of rhe freshmen class. "We have a lot of fun." She also said the ~pperclassmen were an encouragement. "They look after us," Lyda said. "You know that they care about you, and they care abom making the team better." Kirby said the early success had already translated into signing more recruits for next year. The Lady Biso ns e nd ed thei r seaso n with a loss of 69-42 to Valdosta State in the quarterfinals of the Gulf South Conference Tournament. It was their first appearance in the conference tournament in the seven seasons they've been a parr of rhe GSC. The team ended its season at 19- 10 overall, which was its mOSt successful season since the 19981999 season. -Carson Fant and Jennifer Merrill Arkansas-Monticello' ..••..••...• W 76-66, L 70-72 Delta State' • • •••• •• ••.• • •••.•••L 51-57, L 55-77 Ouachita Baptist· •••..••••.... 'W 70-69,W 61·53 Central Baptist· ..•••••..••••..•••••..W 87-68 Arkansas Tech' ••••••.•••••••.••. L 54-63, L 47-70 Henderson State· • •• • •••••••••W 80-62,W 62·61 Arkansas-Little Rock' ••••••...••••••••••L 51-96 Southern Arkansas· •..•..••.••. ·W 74-50, L 82-86 Christian Brothers' .. •• •....••••W 80-68,W 71 -58 Gulf South Conference Tournament Row1: M. Kirby, M. Bewley,J. McClindon, J. Pearson, K. May,J. Stevens, K. Lyda, E. Henderson, K. Tucker,J. Fullerton, P. Fullerton. Row 2: T. Kirby, B. Bailey, S. Owens, J. Frendenhall, C. McCarty, A. Jones, c. McMenamy, C. Bailey, A. Taylor, S. Fullerton. West Florida' •.••..•..••.••.••..•..••W 86-82 Valdosta State' • • ••••••••••••••••••••••L 42-69 women's basketball
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