It is only sixgames into the 2002-2003 collegiate basketball season, and already the StonyBrook University women’s team finds itself on the ropes, reeling after takingseveral shots to the chin.
TheSeawolves are losing games by a margin of 20.5 points, which could easily havebeen more were it not for the mercy of opposing coaches. The women’sbasketball team is getting beat in every aspect of the game?theycan’t pass, they can’t defend and they can’t score.
Their anemic offense reflects the dearth of talent thatcoach Trish Roberts can call upon. The Seawolves are shooting a woeful 34.5percent from the field, while allowing their opponents to shoot 47.2 percent.
Last season, SBU was 75 seconds away from a berth in theNCAA tournament and now they find themselves at the bottom of the America EastConference (AEC) facing more questions any coach would care to answer.
Where is the defense? Can anybody score consistently? Isthere a go-to player that can deliver in close games? Can anybody provide asteady inside presence?
But still there is a silver lining. Their 52-point loss toFlorida International answered those questions and more, in ways that few fansin poorly attended game may have realized.
First, if the Seawolves are to play the remainder of theseason with their current cast, then performances like the one in thechampionship game of the HIE tournament will become commonplace. And second,all the talent in the Stony Brook program sat on the bench dressed in streetcloths.
About six or seven seats down the Seawolves bench was theduo of forward Sherry Jordan and point guard Theresa LoParrino, talking to eachother about the game and cheering on their teammates. This one-two punch lastyear combined for 28.7 points, 10.4 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 3.6 steals pergame, totaling nearly 50 percent of the team’s offense.
TheSeawolves are without LoParrino, the junior partner of the tandem, because shewas relegated to the bench again after injuring her good leg while trying tocome back from last year’s season-ending ACL injury.
But thesight Jordan anywhere near a Seawolves bench this season is shocking. Sincethe beginning of season Jordan, an AEC first team player, has not beencourtside and has been left off of several of their media guides.
‘?[Jordan]was suspended for violating team policy,’ said coach Trish Roberts.’?She is day-to-day.’
Robertsdispelled rumors that Jordan was permanently off of the team. Saying that shedidn’t understand why Jordan wasn’t on the roster. ‘?[Jordan]never left the team.’
Roberts wastight-lipped about exactly why Jordan suspended and refused to make eitherplayer available saying that ‘?only the players that played’ wouldbe allowed to comment.
AlthoughRoberts insists that one player doesn’t make a program, it is painfullyobvious that Sherry Jordan has and will be the cornerstone of the women’sbasketball team. Unless Roberts, a Hall of Fame collegiate player, intends tosuit up, the two need to resolve the situation because SBU cannot match up onthe talent end. However, Roberts refused to give any timetable forJordan’s return.
Regardless,the first step has been taken. The prodigal son has returned to the fold, andnow she needs to start playing for Stony Brook to start winning.