WOLFPACK WBB RELECT ON FIRST HALF OF THE YEAR
For immediate release: December 8, 2008
Kamloops—To the casual observer, the first half of the season for the Thompson Rivers University WolfPack women’s basketball team hasn’t been very successful. But like the cliché says “Don’t judge a book by its cover.”
The WolfPack, considered to be the youngest overall team in the Canada West, if not the entire CIS, has had a lot of positives during their first 12 games of the season.
The first thing that comes to mind is the team’s record. At 3 and 9, the WolfPack are tied for the fourth and final playoff spot in the Canada West Pacific division. “ I didn't think it was an impossibility(to make the playoffs), but I knew it would be tough with such a young team.” States WolfPack Head Coach Scott Reeves, who did a lot of recruiting during the off season.
The first half of the season has also been one of dramatic improvement in comparison to Reeves’ first two years at the helm. TRU’s three victories (against Fraser Valley, Lethbridge and Brandon) have all come at home. Those were the first wins on home court in over a year and in fact, equalled Reeves’ total CIS victory total heading into the season.
That win total could very well have been larger. Three of the teams losses were by four points or less and one of them (against UFV came in overtime.
These are all small steps in the growth process and Reeves is well aware of it: “We need to grow as much on the court as we do off the court. Decision making on the court must improve to cut down turnovers and we need to adjust to life away from our homes off the court.”
From a personnel standpoint, Reeves singles out three of his players as making the biggest contributions to his club so far: Tracy Kocs (1st year, forward, Coquitlam, BC), Lindsay Dekoff(1st year, forward, Chilliwack, BC) , and team co-captain Sarah Cameron (5 th year, guard, Langley, BC).
“Tracy is our leading rebounder and could have a 20 game in her if she wanted it ,“ he says. “Dekoff is our leading shooter from a percentage standpoint and Sarah is a solid calming factor and is fulfilling her 5th year leadership responsibilities very well.”. At one point, Cameron and Kocs were tied for the Canada West lead in free throw percentage.
Looking ahead to the second half of the campaign, Reeves says its obvious that the teams first three games—at home against UBC and then on the road at the University of the Fraser Valley are key to them making it to the post season. Those games versus the Thunderbirds are two of four at home for the WolfPack the entire second half of the year.
To get them ready, Reeves is taking his crew to San Diego between Christmas and New Years where they will be playing in ‘Surf n’ Slam Hoop Classice at San Diego City College. TRU will battle South Puget Sound Community College and Seward County Kansas.