Junior guard Whitney Houston jumps past UC Irvine forward Lauren Spinazze during Sunday's 61-56 win over the Anteaters in the Coors Events Center. (CU Independent file/Lee Pruitt)
Fresh off a win in their season opener, the Colorado Buffaloes women’s basketball team will look to be ready for action as they will compete in two tournaments the next two weekends.
The Buffs will first head to Minneapolis, Minn. this weekend to compete against the University of Illinois-Chicago at 5 p.m Friday and the University of Minnesota at 5 p.m. Sunday.
The following weekend, CU will host the Omni Hotels Classic, welcoming New Orleans, Harvard and Georgia Southern to Boulder beginning on Nov. 27.
Head coach Kathy McConnell-Miller said the team has learned more about itself after the opening game, and has adjusted their practices to accommodate their current strengths and weaknesses. The team has especially been working to improve their transition defense and offensive execution.
Senior guard Bianca Smith said she is feeling confident about hitting the road after these hard practices.
“Anytime we step on the court, I expect us to win,” Smith said. “I think we’re a really good team, and we need to go in there and limit our turnovers and be mentally tough. I think we’ll come out with two wins.”
That mental toughness will be especially important when the Buffs are away from home and their fans.
“I think it’s important to understand that anything can happen on the road,” McConnell-Miller said. “You don’t have your fans behind you. You really have to rely on your team and ourselves to bring energy, bring enthusiasm, bring the support that we normally have at home.”
McConnell-Miller also addressed the importance of the team preparing its younger players for the challenges of playing away from home. She believes concentrating on such external factors such as sleeping, eating well and remaining mentally focused will help the team be better on the road than they have been in the past.
Smith is fully prepared to take on a leadership role to teach these skills to the freshmen on the team.
“I’ve experienced many different arenas and many different venues and many different away trips,” Smith said. “I can bring that knowledge to the team and let them know what it’s going to be like – how they can prepare for it and to help make it a little bit easier for them. It’s a lot different than playing away in high school.”
With their physical preparedness and mental enthusiasm, some players say they will look to be ready for their first away challenge.
“We’re excited to get on the road and get some practice away,” Smith said. “I think we’re a young team and this first road trip is exciting for us.”
The team will need this confidence considering they will likely be down one of their most experienced players. Junior guard Whitney Houston is questionable for Friday’s game due to an undisclosed injury.
McConnell-Miller said Houston is day-to-day and will most likely be able to play in Sunday’s game. She also expects Houston to be prepared for next week’s tournament in Boulder.
McConnell-Miller described Houston as an important asset to the team when she is able to play. She said Houston has weapons which includes being a great passer, being strong off the bounce and seeing the floor well.
“We’re difficult to press when she’s on the floor,” McConnell-Miller said. “She gives a great deal to this program.”
After being sidelined all of last year due to a torn anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee, Houston is not going to let an injury dictate another season. She said she has faith that she can come through in the clutch.
“I really want to play on Friday because it is a tournament and we really need to win that,” Houston said. “But if I don’t play, I’ll just see what I can do to help when I do come back and not be nervous when I get out there – just know what I need to do. I’ve got to focus.”
McConnell-Miller hopes to take it one game at a time and grow as a team on both the offensive and defensive ends throughout both tournaments.
“I think the expectation is to go on the road and perform to our best, come out with two ‘W’s,” McConnell-Miller said. “Play to the best of our ability, and come home and focus on the tournament.”
When the team returns home, with Houston in tow, their chemistry, energy and ability will help them defend their home court, their coach says.
“You get a lot of excitement generated from great plays, team chemistry and things going the way you expect them to go – things that you’ve practiced that you start to see on the floor,” McConnell-Miller said. “We’re a team that just tries to be optimistic and energetic, and really supportive through every possession.”
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Marlee Horn at Marlee.horn@colorado.edu.
