2008 Woodie Awards
Jennies racking up wins
Central ready to continue streak
Matt Twillman
Issue date: 2/9/06 Section: Sports
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The Jennies now look forward to a rematch with No. 3 Emporia State University at 5:30 p.m. Saturday in Emporia, Kan.The Hornets have lost only once this season.
In their first meeting this season, the Lady Hornets handed the Jennies a 20-point defeat despite Central trailing by just three points at halftime.
Jennies' forward Cydney Franklin said in order to beat Emporia this time around the team needs to win the rebounding battle and "play hard, team basketball for 40 minutes."
Both suggestions have merit as Emporia has out-rebounded their opponents by an average of nine per game this season, the second best mark in the MIAA.
The last time the two teams met the Jennies faded quickly in the second half.
"We also need to work on our defensive rotation and our communication during games," Franklin said. "If we do that and stick to our defensive principles, we have a good chance."
The Jennies won their third consecutive game Feb. 1 with a 79-70 win over Pittsburg State. The teams battled to an 11-11 tie with 13 minutes to go in the first half. From that point, the Jennies never trailed.
Central held a slight rebounding edge, but the main reason for victory was the job on defense. The Jennies blocked five shots, had 11 steals and forced the Gorillas to turn the ball over 21 times.
Tiffany Vincent and Anna Rorvig each contributed 16 points and led five Jennies that scored in double figures. Melissa Richardson led the team with eight rebounds and blocked two shots.
The Jennies then took a break from conference action and hosted Central Methodist last Saturday. The Jennies never trailed in the game and went on to win 107-48.
"We played really well in that game," Franklin said. "We played team basketball and always looked for the best shot."
It appears the Jennies found the shots they were looking for as the 107 points tied for sixth most in Jennies' history.
The team also amassed an impressive 32 assists against just eight turnovers, while forcing Central Methodist to turn the ball over an astonishing 38 times.
Franklin led Central with her 19 points and 14 rebounds. Four other Jennies reached double figures, and all 11 players scored in the game.
The Jennies have seen consistent improvement in several aspects of their game. If that continues, the Jennies may still be a force throughout the rest of the season.
"We started the season slow, but our intensity and determination have really improved," Richardson said. "Once we started winning some games we got our confidence back. Now we know we can do it."
The Jennies looked to extend their winning streak to five straight games Wednesday against the Missouri Southern State University Lions, but results were not available in time for publication.