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March 2, 2010
Call WBB Contact Michael Stambaugh for more details - 386.481.2278 - DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The beginning of March is in the books, and the Lady Wildcats are in the middle of one of the best seasons in program history, knocking out records and streaks in the Bethune-Cookman women's basketball record book. Amidst this year’s successes, the team has built one of the best seasons since joining the ranks of NCAA Division I, and the MEAC, in the 1980-81 season. However, the recent success is not all about the straight-line snapshot of wins and losses; it’s just as much about a change in the Lady Wildcats, which focuses on all-around team success, under second-year Head Coach Vanessa Inge. The most recent shining accomplishment occurred on March 1, at Winston-Salem State. The victory pushed the Lady Wildcats to fifteen wins, tallying the highest win total since the 1987-88 season under then women's basketball Head Coach Alvin B. Wyatt. The victory also moves the team's record to 15-13 with one game remaining, to secure B-CU's first winning regular season in eight years. The last came in 2001-02 under Head Coach Sandra Booker. The past two seasons have shown the wisdom in bringing aboard a highly successful coach from the Northeast Conference to match the Lady Wildcats' progress with their potential. Since taking the reins of the program in 2008-09, Coach Inge has accumulated a record of 27-30. In her short tenure at the helm, Inge has already accumulated five more wins than the four-year stint of the previous coaching staff, and is quickly becoming one of B-CU's most successful head coaches.
"I am very proud of these young ladies and our coaching staff, for their hard work and dedication to fulfilling one of our major team goals," says Inge, always noting the importance of teamwork. "None of this success would have been possible without the efforts of Porche Anderson, Sarah Bolden, Jasmine Bugg, Jasmine Daniels, Parress Davis, Demetria Frank, Jalisa Isaac, Sharnese Neal, Corinne Owens, Euneshia Proctor, Cleniece Roberts, Alice Walton, Jim Baxter, Tanner Graham, Rodney Minggia, and Charmaine Wilson. It's important to mention us individually, because each and every one of the Lady Wildcats coming together is what makes us a team." "This team has sacrificed and committed themselves to changing their mentality and the culture of the team to one of winning ways," continued Inge. "They continue to raise the bar both on the court and in the classroom, and I am extremely honored to coach these young ladies." In addition to their on-court success, the Lady Wildcats have succeeded academically as well. As a team, they finished with a 3.05 GPA for the fall semester, while four players each finished the term with a perfect 4.0, and three others finished with a GPA of 3.2 or better. The team has been excelling in the classroom as of late, carrying a 3.11 cumulative team GPA. On the court, the record speaks for itself, as Inge and her staff have created a culture of winning and pushing players to their potential. The team concludes the year with an 8-1 home record, making Moore Gymnasium, again, a venue to be feared. In February, the team went on a run to move into the top tier of conference games, making a five-game win streak in conference play, the longest since in six seasons. Meanwhile, one Lady Wildcat took out a long-standing career record, as Demetria Frank broke Erma Jones' career steals record against South Carolina State on January 30. The record stood since 1984 at 249. Frank pushed it to 251, and has since extended the count to 273, with at least two more games, and an entire senior season remaining. Athletic Director Lynn W. Thompson was sure when he made the announcement that he had made the right selection and had brought a true leader to the program. Each of his initial statements about her as a person and coach have proven true, to the great benefit of the program. "Vanessa Inge has taken our program to new heights in her second year," Thompson expressed of the accomplishment. "She has gotten the team to commit to her philosophy, and in doing so has raised their levels of self-esteem and belief to the point that they expect to win every time they play. We are excited about their success and look forward to watching Coach Inge continue her great work." However, with the win count at fifteen, the work is far from done for the 2009-10 Lady Wildcats. Later this week, March 4, B-CU faces MEAC Southern division rival Florida A&M in a pivotal game for the conference season and post-season play. The teams faced off early in the season at the Daytona Beach Ocean Center, with FAMU taking the win as a last-second shot for overtime went astray. The Lady Wildcats are 1-9 in the last ten meetings with the Lady Rattlers, but the importance of this game for the Lady Wildcats shines bright for the team. A win could place B-CU anywhere fourth to fifth in the conference tournament seeding, with the fourth place team taking a bye game in the first round. A loss would move B-CU into sixth and bump FAMU up to fifth. Coach Inge will have the Lady Wildcats ready to go, believe, and win, as B-CU looks to move past the Lady Rattlers and into even greater success in the MEAC tournament, where the top two teams receive post-season tournament bids.
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