Lady Tigers jump into basketball season

Layups, jump shots and passing technique was just the tip of the iceberg as the Lady Tigers jumped into the 2010-2011 season of basketball. Practice started over at St. Regis for girls’ basketball on Nov. 22. Coach Janelle Pruitt said that the first few practices went well though she noted that some of the girls need to catch up on a few things.

“Not many of them have played much yet this year and are a bit fresh so we’re are getting back into the routine,” Pruitt said.

Returning starters Leandra Baldwin and Juliana Spencer will be back on the court this season. The team is short on numbers this year, with six players and one eighth grader.

“We have pretty low numbers,” Pruitt said. “We’re going to have to be careful with fouls and fouling out and we’re not going to have many substitutes. Our numbers is probably our biggest weakness. We’re going to have to concentrate on getting in shape so we can make it through a whole game without much of a break became no one is going to get much of one.

Pruitt said that the team seems to be playing well together in practice which is going to be important as well.

“We’re going to have to be playing as a team,” Pruitt said. “We’re not going to have one or two breakout players. We have to do it together.”

Pruitt said that they have to pass and share the basketball and celebrate everyone’s contributions.

“Hopefully, we can be real competitive that way,” she said.

Pruitt said that the team has some speed and some height on the defensive end and suspects they’ll be mixing it up a bit with the type of defense they run.

“I think we’ll do a little bit of everything,” she said.

She noted that those two areas are also the team’s strengths. She said that they are excited for the new season.

“A couple of kids have been out running miles, doing sit ups and shooting after school. They’re showing dedication and I’m really excited about that,” Pruitt said.

With a game against Lincoln set for Dec. 4, the girls had just two weeks to get ready, with a total of ten practices on the books.

“I didn’t get to watch the Lincoln game last year so I’m going in blind, but I’m hoping we’ll challenge them. I believe we will be ready,” Pruitt said. “I’m hoping everyone stays healthy so we can play.”

Pruitt helped out last year, assisting Mark Feasel. She said that one thing she learned from last year that the girls have to apply this year, is to “keep your head on your shoulders.”

“We have to keep fighting no matter what the score is and no matter how frustrated we are,” Pruitt said. “We have to keep pushing ahead.”

The season was a rough one last year. The team had low numbers and ended up playing some games three on five when girls fouled out. Pruitt is hopeful that the team can find some success this year.

“I think we’ll be successful winning some games,” she said. “I just hope that these girls grow as players and as long as they put everything into that they can, I feel we’ll be successful.”

Pruitt said she is excited to be coaching the girls this year and hopes that they can have fun as well. The girls will play their first home game on December 7 against Clark Fork.