The Bucks women’s basketball
team has roared back from a
nine- year absence to claim their
stake in the Eastern
Pennsylvania Collegiate
Conference.
The Centurions finished the
season with a 4-1 record, in their
first year of play as a club team.
Led under the direction of
first-year coach Cherrissa Gibson
and Assistant Coach Justin
Burroughs, the team was very
competitive throughout their
five-game schedule.
Gibson has a coaching background
at the high school level in
the Lancaster County School
District, and is a graduate and
former player at Elizabethtown
College.
“Basically this is the first step
to creating a competitive team
that will join the EPCC league,”
said Gibson. “The main goal is to
be sure you have enough players
interested to form a full team for
the following season of league
play.”
The Centurions fought a fierce
game, with the only defeat being
their last game, an away game
against Lehigh-Carbon.
“We made some poor decisions
in the last 2 minutes. We
turned the ball over and suffered
at the foul line.
We shot below 50 percent from
the free-throw line that game. It
was a tough loss, but also a
learning experience,” she said.
The season was highlighted by
a terrific defensive performance
against MontCo at their gym.
“We played great team defense
and created offense through our
defensive intensity. We won the
game by 37 points.”
Gibson cited some positive
areas of strengths for the team
this year. The main areas were
defensive intensity, pressing full
court and conditioning.
While
there were many
positive areas
with the team,
there are always
areas that can be
improved upon.
Gibson cited
such areas as the
team’s nine-player
roster, getting
started late in the
season and foul
shooting.
These are the
areas that the
team will look to
improve upon
for next season.
Even though they may not
have had a full complement of
players, the Centurions stayed
focused and competitive
throughout the season.
The team operates as a unit collectively,
but the team’s captains
shined, Gibson explains.
“Our standout player offensively
was Jen Owens. She was
strong offensively, and could
create on offense. On defense,
Diana Altobelli was a standout
defender. Our press defense
functioned much better with her
at the top of the press. She had
great court awareness and
played with intensity. Both of
those girls were team captains.”
For next season the Centurions
look to make a competitive
return to the EPCC. The 2009-10
season will be their first full varsity
season in the league.
With the distinction of a club
team being lifted, Gibson will
look to draw upon this year’s
experiences, in an effort to field a
highly motivated and competitive
team.
Judging by their successful 4-1
record and the guidance and
direction of Gibson, that expectation
does not seem to be too far
out of reach.
If you are interested in information
about Bucks women’s
basketball team, or possibly trying
out for next year’s team,
please contact Gibson at cherrissa5@
gmail.com or contact Dr.
Priscilla Rice at (215) 968-8450.