IUP sweeps California
CALIFORNIA – Intensity and focus are two things college basketball coaches can’t teach, which is much to Jess Strom’s dismay these days. They are, however, two things that every player and team must have, and be able to maintain, to be successful.
Intensity and focus can win games. They can lose games, too. Yet their powers aren’t easy to harness.
The California University women’s team has been given a lesson on the importance of intensity and focus during their last three games. They had both when they defeated Millersville, then the first-place in the PSAC’s East Division, last Friday night. They were inexplicably missing 24 hours later in an ugly 32-point home loss to Shippensburg.
Against rival Indiana Wednesday night at the mostly empty Convocation Center, Cal held a five-point lead with 14 minutes remaining. The Vulcans then lost their focus and, as a result, their grip on the game.
IUP, ranked No. 23 in NCAA Division II, hit Cal with a 15-2 run, and the Vulcans never responded. The result was a 59-47 victory for IUP, moving the Crimson Hawks into third place in the West Division, one game ahead of California.
“There were a couple of times when we lost our focus,” Strom, Cal’s head coach, said. “It happened at key points. We were up five in the second half, then gave up a three-pointer in transition and a layup in transition. Those things shouldn’t happen if you’re focused. They made a run on us, but we should have been able to answer with a run of our own.”
California (6-4, 10-4) trailed by as many as nine points in the first half but pulled to within 27-22 at halftime. Consecutive three-pointers by Stephanie Michael were part of a 9-0 Cal run to open the second half. After shooting only 28 percent in the first half, the Vulcans were suddenly playing very well.
“When we play well, the focus is there, and we’re very good. When it’s missing, we’re bad. There’s nothing in the middle with us,” said Michael, the lone senior on the Vulcans’ roster.
Cal was still playing well when it led 40-35 after another three by Michael and a bank shot by Chelsea McKnight. IUP, however, responded by driving for two buckets. After another basket by McKnight, the Crimson Hawks got a transition layup and wide-open three-pointer from Talen Watson to take the lead at 44-42. IUP stretched the gap to 50-42 before a fast-break layup by Elena Antonenko ended a dry spell for the Vulcans. Cal, however, would score only three points over the final six minutes.
The Vulcans attempted 15 more shots than IUP (7-3, 12-4), but made only 28 percent from the field in each half. The Vulcans also shot only four free throws compared to IUP’s 13-for-17. In the loss Saturday to Shippenburg, Cal shot a season-low 23 percent.
“Our team is in an offensive slump,” Michael said. “Some of that has to do with confidence. We’re not shooting with confidence.”
Strom admits that her team is offensively challenged, but believes the Vulcans can make up for their deficiencies with hustle and defense, which can lead to fast-break baskets and points off offensive rebounds.
“It’s very frustrating because you can draw up the best offense in the world, but if the kid doesn’t hit the shot …” Strom said, leaving the sentence hanging. “These kids can shoot. It’s in there. We just have to pull it out of them. If you look at the film of our first two games against Fairmont State (an 82-57 win) and Glenville (a 102-55 win), you see that it’s there.”
IUP had four players score in double figures led by Sarah Pastorek with 16 points. Watson and Amy Fairman had 11 each and Marita Mathe scored 10.
Michael paced Cal with 14 points. Point guard Kate Seebohm had eight points and five assists.
The game started a big week for Cal. The Vulcans began the night one game behind second-place Edinboro in the West Division. Cal plays Saturday at first-place Gannon. The top two finishers in each division get a first-round bye in the PSAC’s playoffs, which have been expanded to 12 teams this year.