THE WORLAND LADY WARRIORS BASKETBALL TEAM CLOSED OUT THE REGULAR SEASON WITH A LOSS TO LANDER 50-38 BUT WILL ENTER THIS WEEKS REGIONAL TOURNAMENT AS THE NUMBER 1 SEED OUT OF THE 3A NORTHWEST QUADRANT. THE LADY WARRIORS CONCLUDED A 2019-2020 CAMPAIGN THAT SAW THEM GO 15-6 ON THE SEASON, 5-1 IN LEAGUE PLAY. I CAUGHT UP WITH HEAD COACH OF THE LADY WARRIORS, BEN HOFFMAN, AND HE TALKS ABOUT THE BIGGEST EMPHASIS AT PRACTICE HEADING INTO THE TOURNAMENT.
“WELL IT’S ALWAYS DEFENSE AND REBOUNDING. THOSE ARE THE FIRST THINGS. IF YOU CAN CONTROL, THEIR OFFENSIVE GLASS, IF YOU CAN REBOUND THE BASKETBALL AND DEFEND THAT’S ALWAYS GOING TO GIVE US A CHANCE. SO WE’LL WORK ON SOME STUFF IN TERMS OF REBOUNDING THE BASKETBALL A LITTLE BIT BETTER AND DEFENDING. THEN WE’LL JUST TAKE A LOOK AT A COUPLE OF THE TEAMS THAT POTENTIALLY WE’LL SEE. WE’LL JUST KIND OF FOCUS A DAY OR SO EACH ON A COUPLE OF THE MATCH-UPS THAT WE THINK WE MAY SEE OR POTENTIALLY MAY SEE DOWN THE ROAD.”
THE LADY WARRIORS WILL BE MATCHED-UP WITH BIG PINEY IN THE FIRST ROUND OF THE TOURNAMENT. FROM THERE ON OUT THE OPPOSITION JUST DEPENDS ON HOW THE PIECES MAY FALL. COACH HOFFMAN TALKS ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF WINNING THAT FIRST GAME AND THE PREPARATION THAT GOES INTO TOURNAMENT PLAY.
“SO BIG PINEY WILL GET OUR NUMBER 1 ATTENTION, OBVIOUSLY. YOU NEED TO WIN GAME ONE. JUST SUCH A BETTER CHANCE TO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO GO TO STATE. WE’LL SPEND A GOOD PORTION ON BIG PINEY, MAKE SURE WE’RE PREPARED FOR THEM, DON’T HAVE A LET DOWN IN THAT REGARD. THEN WE’LL JUST LOOK AT, OUR SECOND ROUND MATCH-UP WOULD BE EITHER LYMAN OR LOVELL. WE KNOW QUITE A BIT ABOUT LOVELL (WHO IS IN OUR QUADRANT) PLAYED THEM A COUPLE OF TIMES, WATCHED THEM FEW OTHER TIMES. WE’LL SPEND MORE TIME PROBABLY ON LYMAN, PREPARING, JUST CAUSE WE KNOW SO MUCH MORE ABOUT LOVELL.”
THE LADY WARRIORS SPORT A GOOD MIX OF YOUTH AND EXPERIENCE ON THEIR ROSTER AND COACH HOFFMAN TALKS ABOUT RELYING ON THAT EXPERIENCE AT THIS STAGE OF THE SEASON.
“WE WILL RELY ON IT A LOT. I MEAN, WE’RE NOT VERY DEEP, SEVEN, EIGHT GIRLS DEEP. SO WE WILL RELY ON OUR EXPERIENCE. YOU KNOW KAIT WASSUM IS OUR SENIOR LEADER AND THEN WE’VE GOT A HANDFUL OF JUNIORS THAT PLAYED A LOT OF MINUTES LAST YEAR. SO THIS WILL BE A SPOT WHERE THEY’RE… HOPEFULLY WE’LL COME OUT AND SHINE AND THEN PLAY REALLY WELL.”
AND WITH A TOURNAMENT WHERE MANY TEAMS ARE SO FAMILIAR WITH ONE-ANOTHER COACH HOFFMAN OUTLINES WHAT COULD BE A DIFFERENCE MAKER FOR THE LADY WARRIORS.
“THE TEAM THAT DEFENDS WELL IN THE PAST, IN THESE REGIONAL TOURNAMENTS, HAS BEEN SUCCESSFUL. THAT CONSISTENTLY CAN DEFEND AND THEN JUST SCORE THE BASKETBALL WHEN OPPORTUNITY ARISE, BUT THOSE THAT CAN DEFEND AND REBOUND HAVE ALWAYS GIVEN THEMSELVES A CHANCE TO WIN THESE TOURNAMENTS. AGAIN, I THINK IT WILL BE THE KEY, PROBABLY FOR MOST EVERYBODY GOING IN THIS WEEKEND. CONTROL THE GLASS AND DEFEND CONSISTENTLY, REGARDLESS OF WHAT DIFFERENT TEAMS THROW AT YOU.”
THE WORLAND LADY WARRIORS BASKETBALL TEAM BEGINS THEIR RUN FOR A REGIONAL TOURNAMENT TITLE THIS WEEKEND IN LYMAN. THEY OPEN FIRST ROUND PLAY THURSDAY AGAINST BIG PINEY AT FOUR IN THE AFTERNOON. YOU CAN HEAR EVERY GAME OF BOTH WORLAND BASKETBALL TEAMS AT THE REGIONAL TOURNAMENT ALL WEEKEND LONG. CHANCE BOND HAS THE CALL ON KWOR AM 1340 AND 104.7FM.
