Talk of the Big South- Women’s hoops hot start breaks Division 1 record
By Jessica Strickler
The HPU women’s basketball team made it to 7-0 in the Big South Conference. Then they were 8-0, holding a new school record. And now, against all odds, the team went to a perfect 9-0, after defeating Presbyterian College on the road.
“It’s a great start, and it’s right where we want to be,” said senior Shamia Brown, of leading the Big South Conference, “But we still have a lot of games to play, so we can’t get complacent.”
First year head coach Jennifer Hoover attributes much of the team’s success thus far to hard work, along with the strength and conditioning workouts led by head athletic trainer, Tim Teefy.
“We don’t just talk about how hard we have to work, we actually go out and work hard everyday and we talk about how our goal everyday is to get better every time we step on the floor,” Hoover said.
The Panthers practice an average of 14 hours per week on the court, in addition to at least two hours of strength and conditioning with Teefy and his staff. Hoover said many people don’t realize how important it is for athletes to get in good workouts outside of the gym because it is a confidence builder.
“They would all tell you they love [Teefy], and they would all tell you they hate him too,” Hoover said, “We talk about nutrition and eating and we are on them all the time about that, but we let him do his thing. It’s a definite advantage.”
“We are now the best conditioned team in the conference,” said redshirt freshman, Lindsay Puckett, “We definitely appreciate that now.”
With a brand new coaching staff this season, the ladies were at first concerned with the changes to the program.
“We definitely have had harder workouts, and they are a lot more strict,” Puckett said, “At first, we were kind of worried about it, but now, being first in the conference, it’s all paid off and we’re definitely more excited about the change and we love our coaches now.”
But the new coaches have higher standards, which has benefited the team in more ways than one.
“They expect more from us on the court, as well as off the court,” Brown said, “In our classes, they hold us higher, they expect us to get good grades. They expect us to come out here everyday and practice and work hard and I feel like that’s a big difference from last year.”
Puckett, who redshirted during her freshman year, had surgery on her foot last January and was participating in modified workouts up until the team returned to school in August. Now averaging 18.3 minutes of playing time, and 7.4 points per game, Puckett has become a major contributor on the court.
“I came out more focused, and I have more confidence now,” Puckett said, “I’m just trying to find my role within the team and be the first scorer off the bench. I just want to do everything I can for the team.”
With seven games left in the regular season, and only two left to play in the Millis Center, the Panthers face a battle of playing on the road, but can take comfort in the knowledge that they have already beaten every team in the Big South Conference once this season.