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"What stands out for me, as a coach, is that when you
play as many freshmen as we do, you expect a
learning curve that usually means some losses,"
says Dittman. "This group has been relied upon to
compete against the juniors and seniors of the DAC-10,
and have been successful
thus far" (a 12-5 overall record to date).
These
women are five of the Lady T's top scorers this year,
ranging from Gengler's 11.8 points a game to VanLoy's
7.2. Tewes, Carr and
Dunklau are tucked right in between, scoring in the 8-
to 10-ppg. range.
They have contributed heavily to the 72
to 66 points-per-game
team scoring edge DSU has built up against its
opponents.
"We
just seem to work well together," says Tewes, a 6-foot-2
post player from Mayer, Minn. "We get along so well both
on and off the court."
Each of the freshman Lady T's is amazed that they have
come together so well so early as freshmen.
"For us freshmen, it seemed like we came together
right away," adds Carr, a 5-7 guard from Flandreau.
"It's like we have played together for years. It just
clicks when we play together."
According to all of the young freshmen, they feel that
the team atmosphere created by the
upperclassmen has contributed to their early
success. "We really
aren't treated like freshmen by the rest of the team,"
says VanLoy, who comes to DSU after playing as a 5-10
guard at Wabasso (Minn.) High School.
With
the addition of Dunklau, a 6-2 center from Arlington,
Neb., and Gengler, an Adrian (Minn.) 6-2 post player,
Dittman has one of if not the tallest DAC-10 squads this
year. Gengler, Dunklau,
VanLoy and Tewes are the Lady T's top rebounders, each
swiping the boards for around six rebounds per game.
"We have a lot of height and ability," adds
VanLoy. "We just play well together on the floor."
"We
work hard to get our rebounds," cites Gengler. "We also
play hard to get the points, taking advantage of our
height." The
almost-immediate gelling as a team has afforded the
freshmen the opportunity to play each of their positions
well, especially on defense.
"I have been able to focus on just playing my
guard position," admits Carr. "I'm able to make sure
everybody is playing on the same page and playing the
right defense."
"The defense we run here really has helped us get into
the opponents' passing lanes and get our steals," adds
VanLoy. DSU's foes have
turned the ball over 36 more times, 349-377, than the
Lady T's, so Carr and Tewes know what they are talking
about.
Coach
Dittman is cautiously optimistic about the future of the
Lady T's, bolstered by the effectiveness of this year's
freshmen. "Looking down
the road, if this group continues to commit itself to
Lady T's basketball, they have a very real opportunity
to compete on the national level," concludes Dittman.
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