After losing four straight, the women’s basketball team finds itself entering conference play with some momentum, as they have now won two straight games. The Wolverines opened up conference play over the weekend in Grand Forks to face North Dakota (see uvureview.com for details). UND is the biggest hurdle standing in the way of a UVU conference championship.
After routing Walla Walla , head coach Cathy Nixon said she was glad to have a game like that before conference play.
“Our ultimate goal is a Great West Conference championship,” Nixon said.
The Wolverines appear headed in the right direction. The team is hopeful that their winning ways are a sign of things to come. When asked how the team feels about entering conference play with a big win, sharp shooter Taylor Huber said, “It gives us a lot of confidence.”
With the 104-46 win, the Wolverines improved their record to 8-9 on the year. To compete in the Great West and build on their winning streak, the team must continue their hot shooting that they displayed in their most recent win. They shot 52.4 percent overall and 42.9 percent from long range. The Wolverines have also enjoyed a balanced scoring attack as well as good rebounding as of late.
An area where the Wolverine’s can improve is ball control. In the win verses Walla Walla they enjoyed a 2:1 assist-to-turnover ratio, but Coach Nixon would still like to see the turnover number go down saying, “I’m not happy about 16 turnovers.”
She also added that anytime the team records 32 assists (a school record), there is something to be happy about. The game also saw the team top the 100-point mark for the first time since Dec. 29, 2008.
Sammie Jensen and Jenna Johnson will lead the Wolverines on this quest for a conference championship. Jensen leads the team in scoring (13.6) and rebounding (10.6). Her rebounding numbers are also good for 13th in the nation. Jenna Johnson is their second scoring option at 9.4 points per game.
The Wolverines were picked by conference coaches to finish second in a the annual Great West preseason poll. They finished fourth in the 2010-11 regular season.
Nick Hefler – Sports Writer
