Long road ahead for women’s b-ball

The Jaguar women’s basketball team (2-1) is getting ready to hit the road for its next five games. The Jaguar’s are preparing for the East Carolina Tournament to be held on Dec. 3 and 4 in Greenville, N.C. The Jags are getting their focus back after a 107-39 loss to Louisiana State University last week.
“The LSU lost made the kids refocus to what they are doing, how quickly things come unraveled. I think we lost focus in that game and our cohesiveness was nonexistent,” said head coach Sandy Pugh. “Going into the East Carolina Tournament, a tournament we won a few years back, it would be a nice springboard to go to that tournament and do very well.”
The team will then take two weeks off and head for California. They face Pepperdine University in Malibu on Dec. 16 and Long Beach State in Los Angeles on Dec 18. Sophomore forward Indi Johnson, a Los Angeles native, is thrilled about returning home. She is pleased with her decision to attend Southern, but is still trying to get accustomed to the Louisiana traditions.
“I’m excited about playing in front of the home crowd. It’s great to have family there to watch me play and to enjoy the sunny weather,” said Johnson. “I’m happy about my choice to come here. I’m trying to get use to the home cooked meals, there’s a lot good food here.”
After the Christmas holidays, the Jaguars will be traveling to Mobile for the University of South Alabama Tournament.
These games will help the team with execution, developing team chemistry, and preparing for conference games. This tournament will be the last before Southern’s first conference game against Prairie View A&M on Jan. 2 in Houston.
“The kids are in a mode now, where they are functioning better, playing better and more team ball,” Pugh said. “I’m pleased where they are, I think they have come around, they have been more coachable in the last week than they have been since the beginning of the season.”
They will have one more conference game against Texas Southern before returning to The Bluff for their first home game on Jan. 7, when they host the Grambling State University Lady Tigers.