Strength in numbers gives SMU women an edge inside
12:42 AM CST on Saturday, February 28, 2009
By BOBBI ROQUEMORE / The Dallas Morning News
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The departure of all-Conference USA center Janielle Dodds after last season left SMU with big shoes to fill in the middle.
But what was a shallow area is now overflowing with options. Junior Alice Severin, freshman Christine Elliott and redshirt freshman Heidi Brandenburg have given SMU plenty of muscle inside.
Their development at center, along with that of junior Delisha Wills and freshman Alicia Mitcham at power forward, has allowed coach Rhonda Rompola to do what had been unthinkable.
Colleges
"In the past, I have rotated three post players, and that's about it," said Rompola, in her 18th season. "[This season] I've been consistently rotating four post players and sometimes trying to get that fifth post player in."
With Wills day-to-day because of an undisclosed injury, Rompola will depend more on her centers. When Wills sat out Thursday's 61-49 victory over Tulane, Elliott and Severin started at the two inside positions.
Elliott is the biggest offensive threat of the group, able to catch lob passes and attack the basket and turn offensive rebounds into points. The baby-faced 6-2 freshman has also become more aggressive on defense. Against Tulane, she tied a school record with 21 rebounds and added four blocked shots.
"I've worked [deleted] rebounding, scoring and giving it my all," Elliott said.
The 6-2 Severin, who has started the last 13 games, has made an understated impact, averaging 4.2 points and 3.8 rebounds per game. But putting up offensive numbers are not her strength.
"Alice is the best defender and helper in the conference," Rompola said. "She's also one of the best at setting picks and getting players open."
Brandenburg became eligible at midseason after transferring from Missouri, and it took another month before she was in playing shape. Her breakout moment came when she recorded 10 points, five rebounds and two blocks in an 81-51 rout of UAB on Feb. 15.
Brandenburg has unusual skills for a 6-3 center – she can go to her left with ease and score away from the basket.
The centers understand their presence is critical as SMU hosts UTEP today with at least a share of the Conference USA regular-season title at stake. The Mustangs are tied with UTEP and Southern Miss for the league lead at 11-4, a game ahead of Houston and Central Florida. A victory and a Southern Miss loss would leave SMU alone at the top heading into next weekend's C-USA tournament. A loss could drop SMU into a three-way tie for third.
Severin said the Mustangs' balance will work in their favor as they shoot for their second consecutive NCAA Tournament bid.
"We have an outside game, too, so they're going to have to be able to D us up, inside and out," Severin said. "If we handle our business by playing as a team, passing the ball well and cutting down our turnovers down the stretch, that will really help us out."
Posted: Fri Feb 27, 2009 7:24 pm