Women's basketball takes on change

The women’s basketball team started off their season with an SSC/SIAC tournament at home over the weekend of Nov. 13. The Mocs faced Paine and Clark-Atlanta in their home debut where they triumphed over their competition 95-61 and 94-80 respectively.

Following the tournament, high expectations of the success of the team and coaches has become a consistent priority throughout the season.

“I feel pretty confident, as a sophomore now I think I know coach’s system better. I think as a team we are really coming together,” sophomore Jensen Blasage said.

Returning players include sophomore guard Blasage, junior forwards Gianna Vastola and Danielle Thomas, senior forward Mariah Harris and senior guards Shaquita Snow and Sydni Payne. The recruits for this season include junior transfers Bailey Florin and Flo Ward (UNF), freshman guard Camille Glardina and freshman forward Anja Fuchs-Robetin.

“We have added a lot of new people to the team this year, but we get together well on and off the court,” Blasage said. “It took us a little bit to figure out to how to play together, but I think we are learning quickly, we are learning each other’s strengths and I think it should be a great tournament this weekend.”

In addition to the fresh faces on the team, an alteration in game play has become a new challenge the Lady Mocs will have to face this season.

Instead of two 20 minute halves, women’s basketball games will now consist of four 10 minute quarters. The new rules for women’s basketball in the NCAA reflect a standardization women’s game configuration played in both the WBNA and internationally leagues.

In addition to a change to a quarter system, the NCAA also adopted new rules for time-outs, media time-outs and bonus free throws. Unlike previous scenarios where teams shot 1-and-1 free throws on the seventh team foul of a half and two shots on the tenth team foul, teams will now be awarded two shots on the fifth team foul in each period and the team fouls will reset each period.

This season in the SSC, the coaches voted to get rid of media time-outs so there will be no media time-outs during the women’s game. Without media time-outs, teams will be given three 30-second time-outs and two full (60 second) timeouts.

A final new change in game play this season is that when a timeout is charged to the offensive team during the final 59.9 seconds of the fourth period or overtime, that team has the option to advance the throw-in spot to the 28-foot mark in the front court on the same side of the court as the scorers’ table.

“I don’t think these new rule changes will affect our game play. If anything it’ll make us more aware of how we play,” Jensen said.

The Lady Mocs will be away for the next few games, visiting Lynn and Palm Beach Atlantic over the weekend of Nov. 21. The women will return to FSC to face Florida Tech on Dec. 5.