Experience is key for SAU Women’s Basketball as they are set to begin their season on the road this weekend in Indiana.
After weeks of preseason practice, the Bees are ready to hit the court.
“For the most part, pretty good,” says Head Coach Zac Exume. “I liked the fact that I do have a lot of players that have been here for a couple of years, and having those that’ve returned makes a world of difference, so we can move on a lot faster and get ready to go from the jump.”
That experience, Exume says, is what’s helping the team focus on more than just basketball skills.
“The big thing I wanted to do was make sure that it was about the team and family,” he continues. “Anytime a player falls during practice, we all run to that person. They know they’re responsible for picking each other up.”
That bond shows up in every drill, and players say it’s carrying them into a new season with new goals.
“For individual goals, just be a good team player, create open shots, and be a good leader,” said Jayla Stirgus, junior point guard. “As a team, we just want to win games and hopefully make it to the playoffs.”
“I definitely want to win this weekend,” Stirgus adds. “I’m ready to see us as a team play an actual real game now to see how practice has paid off for the regular season.”
For senior Abby Wolter, this year feels a little different.
“I’m excited. Going into my last year, it’s the last of everything—it’s my last first game,” Wolter says, “The mindset is to be a captain out there, to lead this team, to get that dub, and as we go into each game, just to grow.”
As one of the team’s veteran leaders, Wolter is also embracing the chance to mentor younger players.
“It’s bittersweet,” she explains. “I just want to go in with 100% effort each day, trying to guide the freshmen and get them to where they need to be when you leave. It’s hard to think about everything you’ve done your whole life, building up to this one last year.”
Exume says the matchup with Briar Cliff is a familiar one, and a good early test for his team.
“It’s a classic,” Exume explains. “Briar Cliff was actually a team we played last year, so we have an idea of what they look like. There are small things we’ve established over this preseason that we want to take into the season: how we’re covering screens, communicating, and how we’re able to guard the ball. But most importantly, being a little bit more explosive on offense so we can put more points on the board has been a key point of emphasis.
“We’ve established some new plays and talked about things that might happen based on what we’ve seen from them in the past. That way, as we go into Saturday’s game, even when they try to throw some wrinkles at us, we’ll be ready to respond as a team and play to the best of our ability” he says.
As the team prepares for Saturday’s season opener against Briar Cliff, the focus is clear: play fast, play together, and start the season strong.
