A 2005 campaign marked by disappointment sealed the fate of the University of Denver women’s basketball team with a 6-21 overall record as the team prepares for the conference tournament in Denton, Texas March 4-8.
And if the Pioneers emerge from Denton without an SBC title, the team can still celebrate the career of Tasha Jones, the 15th player in DU history to tally 1,000 career points.
In last Thursday’s 65-54 loss against New Orleans, Jones notched 11 of the eight points needed to engrave her name in Pioneer basketball history. Jones started in 17 regular season games and led the team from beyond the arc with 34 three-point field goals.
Jones also excelled in easing the transition of the underclassmen to the collegiate level, which included six freshmen that comprise the 12 players currently listed on the roster.
“The upperclassmen have done an awesome job of taking the freshmen under their wings and guiding us through the season,” said freshman guard Brooke Meyer.
This package of freshmen is marked with talent and flair so electrifying it ignites the ‘I can’t wait to see what Santa left under the tree’ anticipation in those who will be involved with the program for the next three seasons.
Through 27 games, Jennifer Whetten, Sara Benham, Meyer, Cassondra Bratton, Jenna Cole and Samantha Winter totaled 3278 of the team’s 5426 minutes.
With players, including Cole, going down with injuries early in the schedule and Winter joining the team in the middle of the season Whetten, Benham, Meyer and Bratton were lobbed into positions unique to many freshmen at the Division I level.
“It didn’t hit me until there were only seven players in uniform,” said Meyer. “I realized that four of the seven players were freshmen and that we could no longer be freshmen.”
A tad light on the attributes of the assumed identities, Meyer could have thrown gritty, infallible, persistent and consistent into the mix. Of the team’s 27 games, Meyer has started 24, Whetten 18 and Bratton 16, with each showing few signs of fatigue.
“The games are 8 minutes longer (than high school), which might not seem like a long time but it is,” said Meyer.
She added, “I start to feel a little tired half way through the second half. We did a lot of pre-season and in-season conditioning that has significantly helped me adapt to the college level pace and longer games.”
Whetten, arguably one of the better outside shooters in the SBC, upholds the team’s stamina shooting a team best 85% from the charity stripe.
She put up 118 three-pointers andnailed 26, so look out when the distance between the two numbers is shortened in seasons to come.
Bratton also has a soft touch on her jump shot and a knack for securing rebounds, of which she has 107.
But it’s the slashing, driving and cutting of one of the team’s floor generals that jumpstarts the Pioneer’s offense.
“As a point guard, it is very important to be vocal, no matter how old you are,” said Meyer. “I feel that the upperclassmen lead the team very well and I take their lead and try to become the coach on the floor and the one every one looks to.”
Meyer leads the team with 57 assists, but deflects the opportunities created by her giving and sharing to teammates.
“I give all my props to the team. Running the floor and beating their player is what gets them open and gives me the opportunity to give them the ball and put it in the hoop,” said Meyer.
And it is Benham, behind junior Venice Adams and senior Sarah Cyran, distributing the ball to Meyer after nabbing 139 rebounds between the offensive and defensive ends of the court.
Along with Adams, the team has three other juniors in Ali Butler, Tyesha Lowery and Lauren Reini. Without looking past the upcoming conference tournament, Meyer cannot help but envision the team in the future basking in success.
“We have something special and we have so much experience,” said Meyer. “It will only help us in the years to come. If we all stay together all the way through college, it will be most incredible four years of my life.”
