BLOG 16: Ferris women seek a rebound after two losses in Ohio

By Sandy Gholston

Ferris State University’s Kelsey DeNoyelles, right, gets down in a defensive stance against Grand Valley State last Monday (Photo/Sandy Gholston)

BIG RAPIDS – While the trip to Ohio was a great one for the men’s basketball team, it was a tough one for the Ferris State University women’s basketball team.

After an inspiring 74-64 win over Grand Valley State, last Monday (Dec. 1), the Bulldogs (2-4) experienced tough times in the Buckeye State. Ferris dropped a 92-89 decision to Ashland University and fell in a surprising upset at Tiffin University, 85-68. So, the roller-coaster nature of the 2008-09 season continues for the Bulldogs who now are – most importantly of all – sitting at 1-2 in Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference standings.

One thing Ferris will have to address is its defense after giving up 92 points to Ashland and 85 to Tiffin. The Bulldogs last two opponents either got to the free throw line too much (Tiffin was 23-of-29) or are shooting way too high of a percentage from the floor (Ashland shot 58.6 from the field and hit 9-of-19 threes for 47.4 percent).

Scoring 89 and 68 points, Ferris should be able to win games with that kind of offensive production. So, defense is an area the Bulldogs are going to have to fortify as they continue the long grind of their 22-game GLIAC schedule.

Positively, however, Ferris had some strong performances last week from point guard Becci Houdek. The sophomore had a big effort against Grand Valley and then followed that up with a 21-point performance against Ashland (with five assists) and a 10-point, five-rebound effort against Tiffin. Ferris must continue to diversify its offense. Being more perimeter-oriented this season, it will be important for the Bulldogs to have offensive production from a number of sources considering the attention that will be devoted to senior guard Teghan Thelen, who averages a team-best 17.7 points.

Some players have stepped up. One of the players who has quietly stepped her game up this season and has to be one of the most improved players in the GLIAC is Tiara Adams. Adams, a sophomore from Lansing, has started all six games this season and ranks second on the team in scoring, averaging 10.2 points.

If you have any questions, ideas or comments feel free to contact Sandy Gholston at sgholston2@netzero.com