Lacking Clear Leader, Lions Struggle to Control Pace of First Two Games

The buzzer rang as the final seconds of the first half expired, and a three-pointer from Michele Gage slid down the net. Columbia up two against Oakland. The Lions left the court for intermission with the wind at their back, homecoming sails struck and billowing. The opening chords of “Roar, Lion, Roar” hissed out from the speakers, and the Columbia ship saw smooth seas ahead.

The winds shifted sometime during those fifteen minutes of halftime. Columbia fell into the doldrums, and three, five, seven, 10 points later, Oakland had retaken the lead with enough of a cushion to comfortably outlast the Lions on their home court.

“They came out and sort of had us on our heels,” said sophomore forward Chelsea Frazier, who recorded nine points and five rebounds Friday evening. “We didn’t respond the way we should have.”

“To be honest with you ... I think that shot pissed Oakland off more than it fired us up,” head coach Paul Nixon said. “They probably used that as a real rallying cry in the second half.”

The Oakland Golden Grizzlies had missed the women’s NCAA tournament last year by one bad game, perhaps by merely 11 minutes of cold shooting against Oral Roberts. The lesson learned was that every minute, every possession counts. Oakland opened its season against Columbia with the ferocity and conviction that befits a scorned team hungry for vengeance.

That aggressive attitude was absent from the Columbia ranks.

Frazier felt that the team was anxious in their season opener. “For the most part, we were a little bit too rattled,” she said. “We just needed to calm down and we were trying to force things.”

What the Grizzlies had and the Lions could have used was a leader—some dominant focal point around which everything could revolve. For Oakland, it was guard Jessica Pike, whose 23 point, seven rebound performance did more to decide the final score at Levien Gym than any other individual effort. Pike set the pace of her team’s game. She tranquilized and focused her teammates when the offense turned frantic, and signaled the attack when a good defensive smothering was in order.

It was her example the rest of the team looked to, and in the rare occasions when the Lions were able to quell the direct threat she posed, the other Grizzlies stepped up with assured support.

Columbia had several players make valiant attempts at adopting the leadership role. Off the court, captain Michele Gage tried hard to focus her team, while on the court she put on the best performance by a Lion. Guards Sara Yee and Danielle Browne, at moments, were able to shape the Columbia offense effectively. Even freshman Kathleen Roehrkasse showed the willingness and ability to take charge a few times late in the game.

But the Oakland squad should be given its due. The most important aspect of their defensive triumph was their ability to take integral Lions out of the picture at decisive moments, often cutting any chance of a Columbia run to nothing. Senior Brittney Carfora was held at bay for most of the second half, covered closely outside the arc. Chelsea Frazier was rarely given enough space to work with down below the basket. That she notched nine points and five rebounds against that tough Oakland defense is simple testament to her skill.

With the graduations of two dominant leaders of the Columbia women’s basketball team, a power vacuum has been left which cries desperately to be filled. Whether it’s the sort of “collective leadership” that coach Nixon envisions or one player who controls the fate of her team, the Lions need a leader. If the Oakland defeat is any indication, it is going to be a long season without one.