The Collegian

Issue date: 2/28/08 Section: Sports

The women's basketball team faces Wayne State University for the third time this season in the first round of GLIAC Tournament play at home Saturday.

After defeating Wayne State and University of Findlay last week, the team is 23-3 overall, 15-2 in the GLIAC.

Head coach Claudette Charney said the game against Wayne State last Saturday was "a physical war."

Senior Julie Slot sustained a bruise and cut chin from the game.

"It's always a physical game," Slot said. "People get beat up."

Slot said junior Katie Cezat and sophomore Brooke Knight also received bruises.
"If you're driving into the basket, you're going to get hit," Slot said.

Junior Claire Aubrey said she got three to four bruises during the game.

"They were definitely bigger than us but we have more finesse," she said. "I tried to box out one of their 6-foot-t3-inch post girls, and I got knocked to the floor."

The Chargers held a 15-point lead at halftime and, despite a few second-half runs by Wayne State, maintained control, pulling off a 76-60 win.

"We did what we had to do to win," Charney said.

The team had a wider margin of defeat over Findlay last Thursday, ending the game at 86-47.

Cezat broke yet another record and now ranks first for single-season rebounds with 306 total.

During the Findlay game, Aubrey tied a record, shooting 7-for-7 from the field and scoring a career high 19 points.

Slot was honored Thursday at Senior Night as the only senior on the team.
Charney said Slot brings outstanding athleticism to the team.

"She moves so well without the ball she's tough to guard," she said. "We've consistently gotten better, and Julie's a big part of that. She's really come into her own and gotten better."

Slot said she will miss having competitive basketball as a part of her life.

"It'll be very strange not having basketball," she said. "I've had a lot of fun."

This Saturday the Chargers begin GLIAC Tournament play in a third game against Wayne State.

"We need to focus more on defense," Slot said. "We had a little trouble stopping their guard drive [last time]."

Slot said facing Wayne State again will be tough.

"People always say it's hard to beat a team three times in a season," she said. "We have to have a good week of practice and be fully prepared."

Charney said entering tournament play is like beginning all over again.

"It's a new season," Charney said. "We must set new goals and we're still going to take it one day at a time."

The team's perspective going into tournament play will be the same as always: one game at a time.

"We're just going to attack Wayne State and see what happens," Charney said.

Hillsdale College Collegian 2008

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