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What a year before 'The Year'
This was supposed to be the year when the California University women's basketball team restocked its roster with talented freshmen and transfers, and possibly challenged PSAC West Division preseason favorite Indiana for conference supremacy.
This was supposed to be a year, if everything fell into place, when California returned to the NCAA Division II tournament and gave their new players valuable postseason experience.
This was supposed to be the year when California prepared to make a serious run at the Elite Eight - in 2009.
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Down to eight healthy players, California made the Division II tournament, reeled off three consecutive victories - all by double figures - won the East Regional and is headed next week to the Elite Eight in Kearney, Neb.
"We're one year ahead of schedule," California coach Darcie Vincent admitted Wednesday afternoon.
"This year's team, we have only two players back, and we didn't do anything last year. This is a completely new team."
For the record, California did make the national tournament last year but lost in the first round to Anderson (S.C.). With only Lindsay Johnson and Brooque Williams returning, Vincent expected it would take a year of growing pains before California returned to the Elite Eight for the first time since 2004.
"When we won the national championship in 2004, we did it with an experienced team. We had been to the semifinals the year before and lost by two points to Northern Kentucky. The next year, we had everybody back. This team doesn't have that kind of experience to draw upon."
A lack of tournament experience is only a minor inconvenience for the resilient Vulcans. They've been able to overcome player defections and a series of injuries that seemingly has no end. The latest setback came in the days between the PSAC and NCAA tournaments, when Katie Benick was lost for the season with a back injury, leaving Cal with only eight healthy players and just six on scholarship.
"We tell our kids that you measure character ... by if you're still standing after all the slaps in the face that we've taken," Vincent said. "Our kids have been through a lot. It amazing that we're still standing, the one team out of 40 or so in our region that is still playing."
In an 86-71 victory over Shepherd (W.Va.) Monday in the regional final, four California players logged at least 30 minutes of playing time. Two others played at least 25 minutes. Yet fatigue was not a factor. The Vulcans ran Shepherd ragged. At game's end, Cal's players looked fresh enough to play another 40 minutes.
"Fatigue is not optional here," Vincent said with a smile. "We have only eight players, but that has brought the team closer together. And the players are happier because it means more playing time."
In the second half against Shepherd, Johnson and Amber Dubyak shut down the Rams' high-scoring Katie Warhime with in-your-face, man-to-man defense. Shaquetta Mance, meanwhile, was making jump shots from all over the court, Kayla Smith was a force in the low post, point guard Crystal Andrews was efficiently running the offense and Williams was having a huge game with 23 points, 13 rebounds and five assists.
The Vulcans hardly looked like a team with precious little tournament experience.
The road won't get any easier for California. Their next opponent is Delta State (31-0), the nation's top-ranked team, Wednesday at 7 p.m. But as Vincent pointed out, California has been in this position before.
"When we won the national championship, our first game in the Elite Eight was against South Dakota State, which was ranked No.1 and the defending national champion," she pointed out. "If you're going to play the No. 1 team, then you might as well play it when you have an entire week to prepare. ... We're not going to hype that Delta State is No. 1. We're telling our players that it's just one game, so enjoy it."
After all, the Vulcans weren't expected to be in the Elite Eight this year.
Sports Editor Chris Dugan can be reached at duagn@observer-reporter.com
