There is only one way to describe the women’s basketball team’s 81-41 dismantling of the hapless NJIT Highlanders last Thursday: absolutely necessary.
Coach Terri Mitchell divides the 29-game women’s basketball season into four smaller ones in order to manage things and create mini-goals for the team. Her main objective is to finish above .500 during each of these seven (or eight) game subsets. The result? Postseason play.
At the quarter-pole, Marquette is 5-2. And in these first seven games alone, the Golden Eagles have already experienced a season’s worth of ups and downs.
So while the team entered Thursday coming off a blowout loss to No. 11 Duke and learned that sophomore center Georgie Jones was leaving the team effective immediately for personal reasons, NJIT was just sitting there like a stress ball. And Marquette needed to vent some frustration.
With the loss of Jones and the injury problems of redshirt junior Jocelyn Mellen, it’s now that much more important for Marquette to remain solid inside. And Thursday’s performance was very much a confidence builder for the future. Receiving extended minutes, forwards Jessica Pachko, Sarina Simmons and Paige Fiedorowicz all scored in double figures. Fiedorowicz scored 15 points in the first half alone, the same as the entire NJIT team. It’s no secret their contributions will be essential come conference season.
“It’s extremely important because (Simmons, Pachko, and Fiedorowicz) are more than capable, and I think they played very confidently,” Mitchell said. “That’s who we are and we’re going to build on it. I was happy to see all three play well.”
May I just say I love the way the Marquette P.A. announcer says “Fiedorowicz.” It’s long and drawn out, and it’s more awkward than couples who hold hands while walking to class.
Anyway, the team has certainly grown together and matured, and it starts with point guard Angel Robinson. A player who at times last year played against the other team by herself, she now is staying within the offense and getting her teammates involved more than ever.
“You need your guards to be diligent about the extra pass. Obviously, Angel is our leader and it’s going to be contagious,” Mitchell said. “She’s the epitome of a point guard. She’s capable of scoring so many more points than she is, but she’d rather get the team going and do her part.”
Case in point: Robinson did not even score in the first half of Thursday’s game. She did, however, finish with a game-high six assists. Robinson, Marquette’s leading scorer from a year ago, now finds herself fifth on that same list.
The scoring lead goes to the aforementioned Pachko, who has been the team’s most consistent producer all year. The All-Big East Freshman Team selection is building off her past successes in her sophomore campaign.
“Jess is doing everything we’ve asked her and is a presence in the paint … Signs of great post players is occupying people in the paint,” Mitchell said. “You’ve always got to pay attention to Jessica Pachko.”
Team basketball is what winning games is all about. Marquette is a year older, smarter, and despite the losses, a year closer. The games are only going to get tougher. There aren’t many NJIT’s left in Marquette’s schedule. But what they need to do is use the game as a blueprint.
Now starts the second season.
