Womens team ready to begin off-season

The women's basketball team didn't end their season exactly how they imagined.

However, that's not going to discourage them from making it to the KCAC tournament for years to come season.

Head coach Bruce Tate believes that the Lady Braves will have a longer season next year.

He said the team was very disappointed that they had an early exit from the post-season tournament.

He also said the team knew they were playing much better basketball as a team the last few weeks of the season and had a very good chance to compete for the KCAC Tournament Championship.

Tate said their goal is to put themselves back as one of the top four teams in the KCAC and to compete for a conference championship.

Most importantly, he said they will want to put themselves in the position to win the KCAC post-season tournament and qualify for the NAIA National Tournament.

"I think we need to build on getting in the gym more and working out for the games on the court, shooting and getting better," junior Taryn Morris said.

There were some good moments to celebrate throughout this year's season. Junior Maggie Hasenkamp broke the school's three-point record this season crediting the team's hard work and support as help.

"Having Coach Britt give me the news and congratulate me for breaking the three point record was one of the greatest feelings," Hasenkamp said. "It was as if she was personally handing me the record. Breaking the school record for the most three's made in a season was exciting and a huge accomplishment that would have never been possible without the help of my teammates."

"Though our season ended before we wanted it to, it couldn't have ended on a better note for us as a team," she said. "The chemistry our team had from the very beginning of the season was unbelievable. We might have lost a few games, but we never lost each other or gave up."

Maggie has also said that next year's team loses two irreplaceable seniors on the team.

She said next year the Lady Braves will have five accountable senior leaders that have been together since their freshman year.

"We are currently in process of recruiting future Lady Braves and hope to sign eight to 10 players to join our campus and program," Tate said. "We already have two commitments for our 2010 class, and plan to receive more here in the next month or so."

Tate said that the team will take some time off until after spring break. After spring break they will start their post-season strength and conditioning program until finals dead week.

At the end of May, the women will start their off-season workout program and they will play in a Kansas City summer league, as well as have open gym twice a week on campus.