Northwestern State University of Louisiana women’s basketball team is middle in the pack and looks to crawl out to finish the season. Currently 9-12 on the season, the team hopes to improve to make the tournament in March.
Like the NSU men’s basketball team the struggle seems to be more prevalent on the road as their record is 3-8 on the season and the last loss was against Tulsa University, with a score of 53-65, and the problem seems to be 3 point shooting.
As in that game they went 7-21 from three and as the season they are 31% from three (117-375 attempts/made) and it seems to be a concern for the team.
Head Coach Anna Nimz explained that those missed shots reflect a bit of decision making.
“Needed to capitalize on the three. I believe they were wide open but also, I feel like we tried too much on the deep ball. Not getting closer to the rim and getting some twos and layups and letting the threes come into the offense slowly,” Coach Nimz said.
Nimz also said how she believed the time pressed a little too hard on the three balls and not enough on the easier looks.
“You know sometimes we make a bunch, but I feel like we were too quick to trigger on the three ball and you see that in practice players want to hit the deep ball. I just think we need to go back to playing close to the rim,” Nimz said.
Despite the close losses, coach Nimz remained confident in her players and believed they would see it through.
“I always tell them that they are so close, and it really is our job to pound it into them that this is not a fluke and that they are that good. Not just for NSU but for the demons and that you always need to be confident, and they have shown that and so we must push on,” Nimz said.
The Lady Demons’ will was tested Saturday against Texas A&M Commerce as they won 69-66.
The shooting problem became more apparent as the lady demons saw a 18 point lead heading into the fourth quarter disappear. Miss shot after miss shot plague the lady demons.
However, the team increased their defense holding commerce to two points in the last two minutes of the game.
“We made the game harder than we needed to but we capitalized on our opportunities down the stretch,” coach Nimz said.
Lady Demons hope to continue this new found momentum into Feb. 8 against New Orleans University Privateers at Prather Coliseum at 6:30 p.m.
