Pugh: PG top need for team

 
The sound of the buzzer in Garland, Texas, at the Southwestern Athletic Conference Tournament marked the end of Southern’s women’s basketball season with a 54-44 loss to Alcorn State, a team Southern defeated twice earlier in the season.
This season was not what head coach and Interim Athletic Director Sandy Pugh and her players had in mind. The last two seasons, the Jaguars took the regular season Southwestern Athletic Conference title and this year the team had three-peat in their eyesight.
“Our expectations are higher than anybody else it was a disappointing season to me all the way around,” said Pugh.
High expectations is the motto for the Jaguars, just five days removed from that loss in Texas coach Pugh was holding individual workouts for team.
“Individual workouts are a must focusing them on the details on being tough with the basketball and being fundamentally sound and understanding our expectations in terms of their development,” said Pugh.
The Jaguars were strong defensively this season, ranking second in the SWAC in defensive scoring by allowing opponents to only 58 points per game.
The main problem for Southern this year was a lack of leadership and discipline on the court. The Jaguars averaged 18 turnovers per game this season, which could probably be the story of the Jaguars this season.
But that’s old news, so what’s next for the Jaguars.
Southern loses two seniors in post player Jamie Floyd and point guard Carneta Henderson, who was a vital loss to the Jaguars and didn’t play this season due to injury.
Floyd and her SWAC-best nine rebounds per game will be missed, but what Southern will be looking for in recruiting will be help at the point guard position.
“Number one need is the point guard slot I think we got to sign a couple of point guards,” said Pugh addressing the needs for the Jaguars next year.
Adrian Sanders took the role as a point guard this past season and did a commendable job, but Pugh said that the point guard position isn’t her natural position and would be most effective at the small forward position.
“We want to put her at her natural position next year so she can take advantage of her size,” said Pugh talking about the play of Sanders. “She’s really developed her outside jumper and her mid range game and I look for her to do some great things going into next year.”
Guard Kendra Coleman earned SWAC Freshman of the Year honors ranking sixth in the SWAC in scoring (12 points per game).
​”Kendra showed a lot of promise at the beginning of the year the knee the stain MCL really hurt her and slowed her down tremendously,” said Pugh.
The Jaguars for next year are stacked returning most of the starters and are in search to put in the missing pieces together to get back to SWAC dominance.
“To finish a season at .500 some coaches are happy with that, we’re not,” Pugh said. “Come August, we’ll be ready to do it again.”