ROCKET WOMEN BREEZE PAST ALASKA-ANCHORAGE IN PRESEASON TUNE-UP

November 4, 2010 - Tricia Cullop’s Rockets took advantage of a cold-shooting University of Alaska-Anchorage team to coast to a 63-37 exhibition win at Savage Arena on Thursday evening.

Toledo broke out to a 34-12 half-time lead and never really looked back as Cullop saw to it that all 12 players who dressed for the game received playing time, enabling the Rocket mentor to evaluate a number of player combinations that will help to establish her rotation for the coming season.

To answer the opening tip, the Rockets sent out a starting lineup consisting of senior forward Melissa Goodall and four guards: senior Jessica Williams; juniors Courtney Ingersoll and Naama Shafir; and sophomore Lecretia Smith. Ingersoll opened the scoring with a jump shot at the 18:54 mark that ignited a 9-0 run, and UT never had to look back until the final buzzer.

It was a frustrating 20 minutes of basketball for the visiting Seawolves who are rated No.13 in the NCAA Division II preseason poll. The old line, “You couldn’t hit the water if you fell out of boat,” comes to mind as UAA sank just 5 of 23 shots (21.7%) before intermission. This is a team that had a 42.2 shooting percentage over the course of last season when it posted a 24-5 record. It’s the same team that led the Indiana Hoosiers by a point at half time of that exhibition game, just two nights before venturing into Savage Arena. And it’s the same team that hung with IU for 30 minutes of that game before losing 72-49. While UAA was having trouble locating the rim in its cross hairs, Toledo was a shooting a respectable 13-of-29 (44.8%) in posting those 34 first-half points.

In the second half Toledo extended its lead by as many as 29 points before settling on the final 63-37 margin. Toledo sophomore Anna Sonka closed out the scoring for the game with a 3-pointer just 10 seconds before the final horn.

A trio of Rockets reached double figures led by Goodall with 13 points, while Williams and sophomore Riley McCormick each tallied 11 points. Williams was 3-of-6 from beyond the arc and McCormick hit 3-of-5 shots from long distance. UAA’s 6-2 junior forward Hanna Johansson tallied a double-double for her team with 12 points and 11 rebounds.

McCormick who was used very sparingly as a freshman worked very hard on her game in the off season and she could become a vital part of Cullop’s rotation. Here’s what “the Boss” had to say about the Cleveland native: “Riley McCormick is a great three-point shooter. She probably has one of the sweetest strokes I've ever seen, and she has a quick release. She has just worked her tail off. Last year, after a game was over, she'd come right back into the gym and continually put up shots. She's worked so hard this summer and she proved tonight what she’s capable of doing.”

Junior Sarah Clark also performed well during her time on the court. Clark, who came to the Rockets after a two-year career at Owens College was just recently cleared to play after suffering a pelvic stress fracture earlier in preseason drills and is still getting herself into playing shape. Cullop calls Clark “an Allie Clifton like player” who can do a number of things well.

Toledo point guard Naama Shafir didn't have an especially good evening, scoring just six points while committing five turnovers, but she did manage to register six assists and two steals. With the supporting cast that has now surrounded the talented junior, she might not be called upon to solely shoulder the load of directing the show as she has done in the past.

Despite the easy win, all was not right with Toledo’s game. The Seawolves out-rebounded the Rockets 38-36 with the visitors corralling 19 offensive boards to Toledo’s 12. At the charity stripe UT was able to convert on just 6 of 12 attempts. Toledo also committed 21 turnovers on the evening, but a number of those miscues were the result of so many new faces on the court. There is excellent chemistry among the players on the roster but the chemistry on the floor will only come with experience.

After the game Cullop said, “I'm pleased that we had a great start to the game but I'm sure that trying a lot of different combinations played with our rhythm at times and it was difficult to keep our continuity going. But it was important for our staff to see different lineups together and give the kids some chances to prove what they could do, so when we play an official game we'll be tried and tested.”

Two Rockets are still recovering from injuries and didn't dress for the contest. Junior guard Haylie Linn should be ready to go in time for the opener but junior forward Kaneesha Lee may be out from three to four weeks with a stress fracture.

Despite some work that needs to be done to prepare Toledo for the WNIT opener against Saint Francis of Pennsylvania on Nov. 12, Thursday’s win against a very good Division II opponent could be the harbinger of many good things to come.