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Volume 38 Issue 9
February 13, 2001

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Out on a positive note
Women’s basketball gets stronger as rebuilding season draws to close

BY CHRIS BOWMAN
MESA LEGEND
Submitted February 13, 2001

It has been a trying year for the women’s basketball team at MCC this season.

Their four wins in 22 tries can justify the struggles they have endured since the first tip-off back in November.

Coach Pam Olerich is in the mist of a rebuilding season. Her playoff team from a year ago had seven sophomores that needed to be replaced somehow, someway.

The T-Birds would definitly be youthful and inexperienced this season, and you can say this team would be in trouble if they encountered injuries.

The embryonic squad did just that, losing Megan Ward and Melody Lewis to season ending ACL injuries, and LeAnn Anderson for reasons that were undisclosed.

It got ugly for MCC this year when they lost five contests by more than 25 points, including an absolute pounding from Scottsdale Community College.

The Artichokes managed to pummel MCC by 50 points in the 88-38 blowout

Kim Patterson/MESA LEGEND

Julia Kelly, MCC’s top offensive threat, gets fouled going for the ball against Phoenix College in a one point loss at home.

So, just when you would expect MCC to pack it in for the remainder of the season, they worked hard day-in and day-out, and are now a much stronger and more talented bunch because of their perseverance.

"If people look at our record, they’re going to think that we had a unsuccessful year," Olerich said.

"We know success is measured in more than wins and loses. We have had to overcome a lot of things this year.

"I think it would have been easy for us to hang up our hat after January and start looking forward to next year. We didn’t do that. My players are going to give a 100 percent to the last game regardless if we have any playoff chances."

Even though the playoffs are out of the question for MCC as they sit in second to last place in the ACCAC, they are playing some good basketball down the stretch.

In their last game, they beat Chandler-Gilbert Community College 91-82 on the road.

Before that, they lost to Phoenix College by one point at home, and were defeated by Northland College by two points on the road. They also recently beat South Mountain Community College 60-53 on the road.

"We have been playing pretty good basketball lately," Olerich said. "I think we woke up one morning and said ‘woah, we only have a month left of the basketball season, so we better get it going.’"

Freshman Katie McDonald has been the T-Birds best performer this season. McDonald has averaged 10.5 points per game along with 6.7 rebounds.

Sophomore Julia Kelly has been the key offensive threat for the MCC as she has had 14.2 PPG.

It’s been a tough growing experience for Coach Olerich this season. She realizes that she needs to recruit well in the off-season to improve upon what they have built this year. She also realizes that winning is important, but growth and fortitude can be as rewarding as anything coaching has to offer.

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