Following three straight losses, the University of Tampa women’s basketball team is now 7-8. More conference games are approaching, and the team is currently 1-5 in SSC play. Head Coach Tom Jessee explained that this season has been a rebuilding year for his team. They saw several key players exit due to graduation, while at the same time receiving some talented players through transfer students and freshmen. The team has had a reputation of being a top competitor the past seven years, and they hope that will carry on through the conference tournament and result in success.
“We have been plagued by the injury bug this year,” Jesse said. With the large array of injuries, the lack of depth on the team has been exploited. The women have accepted the challenges they have had to face this year and they are a tight knit group.
Looking ahead to the conference, Coach Jesse has his team practicing three to four hours a day. “We focus on court training, the weight room, speed and then we look at the individual player and focus on their biggest area for improvement.”
The team only had six days off during the winter break and then was back on the court Dec. 27. Their dedication to the sport and to each other shows the hard work they put in while the university was enjoying a break.
“The key to success in this tournament will be staying healthy,” Jesse said. The team is ready for the competition and is looking forward to facing two of their top rivals: Rollins and Florida Southern.
“All the teams are rivals since we have consistently been a top seated team,” Jessee explained. “They see that we are in a rebuilding year and are hoping to get a chance to beat us.”
Practice and patience are going to be vital to the team while they seek out wins against the other competition in the conference.
Having such a close team also helps while the season is culminating into conference play. “They are a great group of women who spend a lot of time together,” Coach Jesse said of his team.
The strong camaraderie the team shares will be important for the Division II conference play. Coach Jesse said he has seen a lot of his freshmen players learning a great deal from this season and expects that to be beneficial as they continue to grow with the team. For now, it is all about the court time the women get before the postseason.
Rebecca Casey can be reached at rcasey@spartans.ut.edu.