By Chad Courrier
Free Press Staff Writer
Ten wins. Doesn't sound that impressive, unless you've only played 10 or 11 games.
In fact, six of the seven women's basketball teams in the North Central Conference already had 10 victories by the time they started playing league games.
But at Minnesota State, 10 wins is news. Ten wins hasn't happened there since the 1997-98 season when the team went 17-10. Ten wins is a sign of accomplishment, a measure of improvement, perhaps a harbinger of better things.
The Mavericks picked up their 10th victory on Saturday, 89-77 over 17th-ranked Augustana. It was a game in which the Mavericks were in control the entire time, not dominating but certainly the better team won that night.
Things didn't look so good a few weeks ago, when the Mavericks were drubbed 103-60 at St. Cloud State, a game in which first-year coach Lori Fish said she was speechless, embarrassed by the team's play.
However, the Mavericks followed up with a competitive game at South Dakota, then won at Nebraska-Omaha in a game where they led the entire second half, though Nebraska-Omaha pulled within one point on three occasions and tied the game twice. Minnesota State was the stronger team in the final minutes, pulling away for a 78-67 victory.
Then came the solid victory over Augustana, producing the first back-to-back NCC victories for this program since the 1999-2000 season.
The change has been dramatic since the beginning of the season. Transfer Heather Peterson is a feisty scrapper that this program has needed, and guards Stacie Johnson and Alanna Wahl have emerged into reliable starters, producing some much-needed offense to take the pressure off of sharpshooter Kelli Freeman.
Had center Arin Andrews been healthy all season, the 10th victory would have surely come last month, and her presence in the lane, along with Peterson, gives the Mavericks a good mix inside.
The bench has surprised, with Hannah Stolba, Jamie Kienitz, Anna Voltmer and Stacey Duarte each providing a spark when called upon.
And of course, there's the new coach who has the team playing with a plan: pounding the ball inside, then taking advantage of open perimeter opportunities. The defense is tough and physical, just the way it needs to be in the NCC.
Ten wins? Consecutive conference victories? Most programs don't monitor such accomplishments, but at Minnesota State, it's a big deal.
In the future, perhaps it won't be such a big deal here, also.
Chad Courrier is a Free Press staff writer.
