Pugh, Jaguars seek to make another run for SWAC crown

 
The last time Southern women’s basketball team team took the court was March 7, getting bounced from the Southwestern Athletic Conference Basketball Tournament in the quarterfinals.
This year, the team will look to avoid an early exit and add another championship trophy to its case.
Head basketball coach Sandy Pugh said that this team could be the best team she has put on the court since her tenure at Southern, and that’s saying a lot.
In the 12 years, Pugh has coached the Lady Jags she has been able to garner the conference’s first and only WNBA draft pick in 2002 (Jacklyn Winfield), four NCAA first-round appearances, two WNIT post season appearances along with four regular season conference championships and two tournament championships.
The head ball coach said that the sky is the limit for this squad and that it’s been a long time since she looked forward to practice.
“We are probably two weeks ahead of schedule their hungry they’re absorbing they’re learning a totally new offensive package this year,” Pugh said. “I’m really looking to the opportunity to open up the offense and I think we will have a more balance scoring attack this year.”
Last year’s team struggled to get help from the point guard position having to playing people out of position to get production.
Senior small forward Adrian Sanders was one who had to play out of position last season due to lack of depth at the point guard spot.
“I think she’s (Sanders) capable of dominating anyone at our level at that position,” Pugh said.
Last season Sanders was second on the team averaging just under 10 points per game handling other duties and this year she feels the team is primed to hold true to Pugh’s words of being the best she’s ever coached.
“I think this season is going to be completely different from all other seasons so far we’ve been pushing each other,” said Sanders. “It’s a lot different from other teams talent wise, I just feel that the chemistry is a lot different from the other two years that I’ve been here.”
The team’s has loss some faces but has also brought in some players that Pugh feels will get them to that Southwestern Athletic Conference championship.
Destiny Stoker a 6-foot-7 freshman last year transferred to junior college, and sophomore guard Adanna David transferred going the Division I route.
But the new faces that are brought in are players like freshman guard, Kenidi Robinson – who Pugh said doesn’t play like a freshman, freshman guard Jasmine King and Paris (Texas) Junior College transfer, Yasmin Fuller.
“Yasmin is potentially one of the best guards in this league, super lighting-quick, incredible handles, great three point shooting we’ve been working on her mid range game she finishes in traffic exceptionally well,” said Pugh.
Put what has pledged the women’s basketball team over the recent years has been injuries.
Last season, the Jaguars lost a vital piece to their team in then senior point guard, Carneta Henderson for the entire season.
This year’s squad isn’t any different, junior forward Jasmine Jefferson strained her shoulder in practice and it’s uncertain how soon she will be back.
Despite all the adversity, the coaching staff and the players had to deal with last season; Pugh having to work as interim athletics director and head coach, and injuries on the court, the coaches and players still feel they are primed for success.
“This team is hungry, we never had a graduating class that didn’t get a ring and this class would be that class it that were to occur they under stand that dynamic its embedded in there brains and are reminded of it every time they see the former players,” Pugh said.