At the helm for the Triton squad is Judy Malone, who is starting her 25th year as the Tritons’ head coach. She compiled a record of 20 wins and 6 losses last year in Division III, and her overall record is 341-261, a winning percentage of 56.6 percent. This will be her first year as a Division II head coach.
“”Our competition level will increase a notch as we move up a division,”” Malone said. “”There was a large disparity of matches in Division III; some teams were tough, while some teams were walk-overs. In Division II, each game will be a battle. There are no more easy games.””
As for the team itself, there are only three seniors on the squad, with five returnees from last year. The team has seven freshmen playing this year, with one junior transfer. With such a young team, the Tritons have some inexperience, but they still hope to make their mark in their first year at Division II.
“”We were expecting 11 players back, but that was not the case,”” Malone said. “”We do, however, have four of our five top scorers back. This should keep us in games, and allow the other players to develop as the season rolls along.””
Forward Kimberly Neil led the Tritons last year with 11.6 points per game and 6.4 rebounds per game. Center Renee Hudec held the team lead in total rebounds in the season. Forward Genevieve Ruvalt had the most assists and steals for the Tritons, which maintains this triumvirate in their strong starting lineup.
With this talent up front, the freshmen players must step up in their respective positions so that every element is on point. One of the most important parts of a team is how well its different parts fit together.
“”We are truly optimistic about the upcoming year,”” Malone said. “”We expect a lot out of players like juniors Maya Fok, who hurt her wrist during the off-season, and Danyiel Wortham, a workhorse in the post. It is also evident that the incoming freshmen will be put into leadership rolls with the lack of seniors on the team, and I think they will respond to the challenge.””
The UCSD women’s basketball team has made the playoffs six out of the last seven years in Division III. Last year, the team lost to Davis, the second-place team in the conference, but defeated Chico State handily, who claimed third place.
Pomona buried all competition, piling a record of 19-1 in conference play and an overall record of 26-3. They were the only team to represent the conference in the NCAA championships.
The first game for the UCSD women’s basketball team will be at Point Loma Nazarene on Nov. 17. After that, it is on to Christian Heritage College and Vanguard University on Nov. 30 and Dec. 2, respectively.
Then, after an arduous week of finals, the Tritons go to Chico State and UC Davis to face their rivals. This will take place on the Saturday and Sunday of finals week, therefore rest and relaxation is going to be delayed for a couple of days.
After that it is San Francisco State University on Dec. 15, the home opener for the Tritons. Rounding out the 2000 campaign, Sonoma State University comes to town on Dec. 16 and the UCSD Doubletree Invitational on Dec. 29 to Dec. 30. The Tritons will host the event.
As it seems, the UCSD women’s basketball team has a tough mountain to climb to reach the NCAA playoffs, but with the top scorers still remaining, as well as the young talented freshmen and sophomores on the squad, this looks like a promising 2000-2001 season.
