Jan. 20 update: Tough schedule pays dividends
By Dave Loveton, SBCC sports information
Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2010
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Vaqueros have faced eight top-15 teams
Someone once said, "To be the best, you have to play the best."
That's the path the 2009-10 SBCC women's basketball squad has taken with eight of its first 20 games coming against teams ranked in the top 15 in California. They've also faced two teams ranked No. 1.
"We play a a respected nonconference schedule, year-in and year-out," said sixth-year head coach Sandrine Krul. "We did take some losses, but with every loss my team never lost its confidence or its belief in how our system works and why it works. We were in every game against those top teams, but we also have to remember we were playing with nine freshmen."
As of Jan. 19, the Vaqueros were 10-10 overall and second place in the WSC North with a 2-1 mark. They have four home games remaining against Oxnard (Jan. 20), Hancock (Jan. 23), Ventura (Feb. 10) and Cuesta (Feb. 20).
Francesca DeAngelis and Jake Kelly, a pair of sophomore guards, have been the most prolific scorers. DeAngelis ranks second in the WSC (14 schools) at 19.5 ppg while Kelly is a sixth at 16.5. DeAngelis scored a career-high 34 on Dec. 18 against No. 6 Mt. San Jacinto and Kelly, who also starred on the WSC championship Vaquero volleyball team, had 31 in a two-point loss to No. 5 Fresno.
"We felt good heading into conference," said Krul, who's averaged 20 wins a year the last five seasons and led the Vaqueros to four straight playoff appearances. "Because of our demanding schedule, we were prepared to be competitive every single game. There is not one team in our conference that we haven’t 'seen' in the preseason, because we were exposed to so many styles while playing those top-ranked teams that we can make adjustments quickly and efficiently."
Kelly ranks No. 1 in the conference in 3-point percentage (40.7), No. 4 in free throws (79.7 pct.), sixth in field goals (45.2 pct.) and seventh in assists (3.7). The Vaqueros have also received huge contributions from Mara Lux (7th in rebounds at 8.2), Brittany Stephenson and Giovanna Aplin.
And what about the possibility of a fifth straight playoff appearance?
"We do not look ahead," Krul stated. "We are preparing for our games week-in and week-out. The team understands that if we do not worry about outcomes, we can concentrate on the performance of each moment. If you concentrate on the performance, the outcomes take care of themselves."
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