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MIAA
underestimates Lady Lions' strength Sports Editor
Can
Missouri Southern win conference? Yes, it can. The
Lady Lions basketball team is set to kick off its season on Nov. 22
during the Northeastern State Classic against Central Oklahoma in
Tahlequah, Okla. I believe the team will win 20 games this season,
become conference champions and go into the post-season on the way to
the national championships. Maryann Mitts, head women s basketball
coach said that winning breeds winning. She
said the toughest competition for the team this year is itself. I
think that we at times are our own worst enemy, said Mitts. I
really think that if we can concentrate on not beating ourselves that we
can have a great year. She
said the top three teams in the conference providing the toughest
competition will be Missouri Western, Emporia State and Washburn. Mitts
has assured me that the Lady Lions can win 20 games and get in the top
three of their region. I believe that they can win conference, regionals
and go all the way to nationals. But
wait; how can this team that lost a key player like Katie Gariss be able
to do well this year? Just because it can, as long as the players think
they can do it, then they can. It s just like the little train that
could, if you think it they will come. Or is that Field of Dreams? But
the loss of Gariss has affected the team in a deep way. Mitts said
Gariss was a leader on and off the court. When she spoke, everybody on
the team listened, and she didn t talk a lot. Mitts
said there are some younger players similar to Gariss, but because they
are underclassmen, the juniors and seniors won t listen to them. She
also said some of the older players, if they work on their delivery of
what they say, then they will be able to make the team listen. But no
one can replace a player like Gariss. This
brings me to another point about the starters. Who is going to start?
Well, as I m writing this, the coach doesn t know who is going to be
starting. She said the team has solidified a couple of spots, but we
have a couple that are left wide open. I ll wrap this up now. I will leave you with some words of wisdom from Coach Mitts: You can learn how to win, and you can learn how to lose. |
Philip
Martin
