The women’s basketball team kicked off the new season with a dominating performance over North Greenville University, winning 87-44 in their first and only exhibition game of the year.
State drew first blood within the first twenty seconds with a three from freshman guard Marissa Kastanek. The great shooting continued throughout the first half, as they maintained a 41.2 % field goal percentage. The Pack also had success drawing fouls and getting into the paint. As a team, they attempted sixteen free throws and shot 75% from the line. Coach Kellie Harper said she was pleased with the poise her team showed in the first action of the new season.
“Before the game, I thought that we could quite possibly be so anxious that we would throw the ball all over the court the first few minutes,” Harper said. “But I thought we did a good job of that and I thought we looked very poised. I was proud of that.”
Senior forward Lucy Ellison, junior forward Tia Bell, and sophomore guard Kim Durham led the team in scoring at the half with six points each. Harper said she was particularly pleased with Ellison, who she said took bigger strides in the offseason than anyone.
View highlights from the women’s basketball team’s game against North Greenville.
“Lucy is hand’s down the most improved player,” Harper said. “She is playing in practice with a lot of confidence. … I think she feels good about herself. She feels good about her game and what she can do. And we’re giving her that opportunity and I think that could be a huge difference for this team this year.”
On the defensive end, State applied pressure throughout, coming out in a full court man to man from the beginning and shifting defenses between a half court man, half court 2-3 zone, and a 1-2-2 full court press. They also held NGU to a dismal 19.2 % field goal percentage and 18.2% from three in the first half and forced eleven turnovers. State was also dominant on the boards, grabbing thirty-two rebounds in comparison to NGU’s eleven for the first half.
“We don’t have our whole defensive package in right now,” Harper said. “But I thought it would be important for us to get some game time experience with our zone, with our presses”
State went into the half with a 42-17 lead.
The Pack carried their dominance through to the second half. Redshirt junior guard Amber White started off the second half with a steal and score, and State kept up the pace on the defensive end. NGU shot 26.9% from the field in the second half and finished the game with a miserable 23.1% shooting outing.
White said the hardest part was containing her self enough to get into a rhythm.
“I was very excited. I felt like I was overly excited and I would go for every steal,” White said. “And I tried to be patient and let the offense and defense come to me.”
Sophomore forward Bonae Holston also began to shine in the second half. She scored eleven points in the second half and finished the game with nineteen points and eleven rebounds.
“I just found good opportunities to score, ” Holston said. “… When I get [into] foul trouble I can’t play and help the team. So if I am able to stay on the court, I’m able to help out a lot better.”
Harper said this game could be a great learning tool to push her team towards a great season.
“And I’m really anxious to go and study this on film,” Harper said. “I think film is a great teaching tool, we’ll watch a lot of it tomorrow, and work hard to get better.”
