By Jacob Horton
The 2014-2015 AUM Lady Warhawks basketball team is off to a great start this season with an overall record of 8-3 through their first 11 games. Through their first four Southern States Athletic Conference games, they posted a record of 3-1.
This fast start has the followers of AUM Women’s hoops thinking that this could be a season they can compete for a few postseason accolades. While all the hype is good for the program, Head Coach Dan Davis is still focusing on the short-term goals for now.
“Our main goal is to just get better,” Coach Davis said in a recent interview. “The castle in the sky is to win your conference championship and a national championship, but you can’t do that if you’re not doing what you need to do every day to build those winning habits and championship habits. I have the confidence in this team that they could compete for that conference championship.”
Through those first 11 games, the Lady Warhawks are averaging 78 points per game, while only giving up 58. As a team they are shooting a modest 46 percent from the field and 64 percent from the free throw line. Four of their starting five are double figures in points with Montgomery native Jatoria Carter leading the way with 12 points per game.
Each of the Lady Warhawk’s SSAC victories has ended in a blowout. Thus far, they have beaten Martin Methodist, William Carey University and Blue Mountain College by an average of just over 34 points per game.
This team can put up points in a plethora of ways, which has led to scores of 84, 93 and even 108, the latest against Selma University on Nov. 11. Coach Davis credits his team’s ability to play balanced basketball as why they’ve had success on offense.“I think there’s a good balance on the floor,” Davis said. “We can score inside, we can hit the three-pointer and we’ve got a couple of point guards that can push the tempo. Part of it it’s the chemistry,” he added.
Each of the five starters brings her own unique set of skills that contribute to the team’s success. Seniors Tina Odume and Gabby Brown serve as the team’s low post players and can cause huge mismatches with their scoring and rebounding abilities. Sophomore Kaylan Withrow and Senior Shanice Burnette are fierce sharpshooters that consistently hits three-pointers. Senior Jatoria Carter runs the offense and can also drain some shots when she is called upon.
Of the 17 basketball players on the Lady Warhawk’s roster, 10 are used on a regular basis. Coach Davis likes to rotate anywhere from five to six players off of the bench at any point during the game, and their contributions have been vital to the team’s success this season. The depth that this team features is definitely something that Coach Davis says will benefit them in the long run.
“I think that’s a huge factor right now,” Davis said. “Now to know that, hey, we play a pretty strong 9-11 deep right now… I think depth has been a huge, huge part, because it allows you to go in and have the confidence in those girls we’re putting in there.”
This season could be a big season for the AUM Lady Warhawks. The pieces are there for them to be able to be playing basketball late into March for a championship. While he is pleased with his team’s great start, how they are going to finish is more important to Coach Davis. He plans on his team improving every step of the way.
“No one is going to remember going 8-3 at the end of November,” Davis said. “They’re going to remember where we are at the end of February, and that last final run in the conference and what we did in the month of March… We’re going to be a lot better from now, we’re going to be a lot better come January.”
Photo Courtesy of AUM Athletics.