Written by Kate Kuwitzky
The Lady Bison basketball team looks to improve this season on last year’s solid performance, in which the team appeared in its third consecutive Gulf South Conference tournament.
The team returns five starters including Pre-season All-GSC selection Stacey Owens, who led the Lady Bisons in scoring last season, averaging 16.1 points per game. The team will look to their returners to pick up the slack after losing two All-GSC players to graduation including four-time All-GSC guard Catherine McMenamy.
“Anytime you lose a leader like Catherine it is difficult to replace everything she brought to our program, but we feel like we are deeper than we’ve ever been,” Coach Tim Kirby said.
All returners are experienced, which will help ease the transition. Kaitlin Skinner will return for her 4th year at the point guard position and will be looked to for leadership off as well as on the court.
“She gives us a lot of intangibles that don’t show up as stats and is a great leader. She is the most coachable player I’ve ever been around,” Kirby said.
The Lady Bisons will also rely on what Kirby calls “the best shooter in the conference,” Lindsey Root, as well as guards Sierra Rollins and Kallie Bartee, who missed most of last season with a broken foot, to lead the team this year. Harding also comes into this year with eight new players, all of whom Kirby feels can contribute.
“All of them have a chance to play a major role,” Kirby said. “We feel like we filled all of the needs we had plus some.”
Although the Lady Bisons play in one of the toughest conferences in the country, they have a legitimate chance to once again compete for the conference championship.
“We are more athletic and a lot deeper than any team we’ve had since taking over the program.,” Kirby said. “We just ask our players to compete in everything they do, and wherever that puts us we will be satisfied. We hope that the team we put on the floor will be exciting to watch and they will carry themselves in a good way,.”
After getting off to a shaky start, the Lady Bisons are riding a 3-game winning streak as they continue in non-conference play. Gulf South Conference action begins Jan. 9 against Henderson State.
The Lady Bisons’ next home game is Dec. 12 versus Ecclesia College.
