The Spur

Issue date: 12/7/05 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Jaclyn Prososki The Mustang's battle for the rebound in their season opener against Presentation College (Aberdeen, S.D.). The Mustangs would go on to win the game 73-39 in their season opener.

The Southwest Minnesota State University women's basketball team has only played back-to-back games twice this season, but already a pattern has emerged. In both instances the team lost their second game.

"We're having a problem with back-to-back games right now," said Mike Power, head coach of the Mustangs. "We lack intensity in the second game."

"It's always harder to come out the second night and play," said Betsy Tasca, a junior center. "We just need to learn how to play through these situations."

Indeed the Mustangs will need to adapt their playing style, as they will only have more back-to-back games as the season goes on.

"Once we begin conference play almost all of our games will be back-to-back," Power said. "That's just the way the schedule is set up."

Both Power and Tasca said the youth of the team contributed to the back-to-back game difficulties but also felt the Mustangs will overcome this challenge with time.

"This is a great group of kids," Power said. "They're always willing to work hard and will weather these early problems."

At this point, however, the Mustangs have not been successful in back-to-back performances, and the SMSU U.S. Bancorp/McDonald's Classic was a perfect example.

The last day of the tournament SMSU played the University of South Dakota in game two of their back-to-back schedule, but as in their earlier performance in Florida, the Mustangs were not up to the task.

In their first game, the Mustangs had opened with a 9-2 run, and the same happened in this game-only SMSU was on the losing end. From tip-off the USD opened fire from beyond the arc. The Mustang defenders couldn't stop the barrage as USD piled up the points. SMSU was down by 14 at the half, but they still had some life left.

The Mustangs got a fast bucket inside from Kristin Hairston to begin the second period and kept the momentum going. By the 17:34 minute mark they had cut the lead to seven. After that short rally, however, the Mustangs ran out of steam. USD continued to be deadly from the arc and went on to win 78-52.

Continued...

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