Surrounded by teams who prefer to play slow, half-court offenses, the Columbia women’s basketball team is attempting to set itself apart in the Ivy League by quickening the pace and knocking opponents back on their heels.
“Traditionally in the Ivy League, pushing the ball and playing up-tempo is not emphasized,” said senior guard Sue Altman said. “If we do it, though, it will throw off other teams and better set up our offensive sets. From the beginning of the year coach Waites has told us to push it as often as possible.”
The Lions possess all the necessary ingredients to be a successful fast break team. They have tough, inside players who can rebound in athletes like Erin Jaschik and Adia Revell; a quick point-guard who can take the outlet pass and push the ball up the court in Megan Griffith; and players on the wing who can finish in Lisa Copeland and Nicole Lesko. They even have an unnecessary but especially effective weapon for a running team: Susan Kern, who can nail a three-pointer should the fast break be contained.
Perhaps the most important element of a running team, however, is depth. A fast-paced game is nothing more than a test of a player’s stamina. Thus, in order to maintain the potency and quick-strike ability for which fast break teams are known, Waites has to be confident that she has enough interchangeable parts to allow the machine to run smoothly, even when some of her starters need breaks. But if the first 15 games of the season have proven anything, they have shown that the Lions have depth.
Though only one Lion, Susan Kern, averages double figures in points per game, four other players average at least 7.7 points. In addition, seven different members of the Light Blue have scored in double figures this season, and seven different players have led the team in scoring for a game.
Unlike some other teams in college and professional basketball, the Lions have not found a “go-to player,” as players’ abilities are generally even. However, this might be disadvantageous should the Light Blue ever encounter a situation in which they need a basket to win the game. At that point, Waites could be faced with a problem.
For now, though, the Lions can look at the situation positively: no one player comes to the arena thinking that she has to score in order for the Lions to win. Anyone on the team can score. And in some games, like the one against Sacred Heart in which five players managed double figures, everyone can get on the board.
“The greatest thing about it is that it adds to the total confidence of everyone,” Altman said. “Everyone knows that they can score.”
While both the Lions’ style of play and wealth of talent provide each player with an opportunity to make a difference in a game, it also provides a challenge. Because of the up-tempo nature of the offense, Waites has to utilize her depth by making frequent substitutions. And though these changes succeed in allowing everyone to contribute, they might have the additional effect of hindering some players’ abilities to get into the flow of the game and be more productive.
Eight players for the Lions average over 10 minutes per game, and generally Waites will use 11 players every game. The challenge for the players, then, is to cope with bursts of action punctuated by periods of rest.
“You have to be mentally active at all times,” Altman said. “On the one hand you have to be supportive of your teammates while you’re on the sidelines. But on the other hand, you have to prepare yourself, and stay mentally into the game in case your number is called.”
Lately, the Lions’ wins have mainly been down to their robust defense, which knuckled down especially well during the two victories over Cornell. The offense, meanwhile, has been relatively inconsistent this season, and the team shooting percentage is a relatively cool 41.5 percent.
Perhaps the substitution pattern has had some effect on the players, but if the team is to define itself in terms of its fast break this season, Waites’ style of rotating players will become just another necessary evil. And if Columbia is to be competitive in the Ivy League, it is a challenge that the team will come to accept.
COMMENTS