Tommies' Defence Carries: Mid-season review
After a start where it looked as if the Tommies might be a little slow getting into their groove, having multiple injuries to key players in their season opener, STU has quickly played up to last season standards. At the Winter Break, the Tommies own a record of 6-2, tied for second in the Atlantic Collegiate Athletic Association with the Holland College Hurricanes.
Tommies' head Fred Connors said the Tommies will benefit from a break.
"We're getting there. The break will be huge for us," Connors said. "We're very hopeful that we're going to have a full complement in the second semester. We should be able to put 12 players on a roster."
Despite their injury woes, the Tommies' have relied on what they have for many seasons to carry them - defence.
STU is only allowing 55 points per game, the best in the ACAA by five points. Their 15 steals per game have led the ACAA, as well as their ability to limit their opponents to one shot per possession. In their first eight games this season, teams have only averaged 10.4 offensive rebounds against the Tommies, as Jaiden Penney (Fredericton, NB) leads STU with 7.4 rebounds per game. Penney also averages 2.2 steals a game, only behind Vanessa Soffee (Fredericton, NB) for the Tommies' lead with 3.7, also leading the ACAA.
On the offensive side, the Tommies haven't dominated as they have on defence - but they're still in the better half. At 65 points per game, the Tommies are in the dead middle of the pack, fourth in the ACAA. Soffee, former Dyrick McDermott award winner for the best defender in the ACAA, has taken a jump on the other end of the floor, leading the team with 11.9 points per game. Soffee's shooting averages have also jumped, currently shooting 41 per cent from the field and 43.1 per cent from the 3-point line.
The biggest jump, however, would be from second-year guard Alyssa Jeffrey (Sussex, NB). Jeffrey has averaged six more minutes per game and has started all eight games for STU. Averaging 3.3 pointers per game in her rookie year, Jeffrey has jumped to 11.8 - eleventh in the ACAA. Her 37 3-point percentage has played a huge part in the Tommies' offense.
"When you watch her play it's easy to forget she's only in her second year," Connors said of Jeffrey. "She's reliable, she's very calm and composed. She doesn't shoot bad shots ... she's a mature player and you see that on the floor."
The second semester schedule shows a tough challenge for STU. Six of their 10 remaining games will be against teams in the top four in the standings. They'll face the Hurricanes three times - twice on the road. The 5-2 Mount Allison University Mounties will challenge the Tommies twice, while the Mystics have one matchup. The Hurricanes have been the only team Connors and his team have yet to see in regulation play.
Connors knows how good the Hurricanes have been and expects them to be a handful in the second semester. The Hurricanes finished the semester tenth in the CCAA National Rankings, while MSVU finished third. The Tommies are twelfth, but Connors isn't concerned. The Tommies have their eyes set on a championship and after a break to heal, Connors and his squad will be ready for the ACAA Championships at the Lady Beaverbrook Gym on from March 3-5.
"It doesn't make a difference ... it doesn't impact us winning or losing."